Chancing upon the Hairy Frogfish (Antennarius striatus) on one of my dives in Lembeh, I was privileged to have witnessed and documented it ‘casting its lure’ akin to an angler casting his fishing rod! The lure located at the top of a frogfish, known as an esca, is a highly specialised and unique adaptation that helps the frogfish attract prey. The fleshy appendage that resembles a small fish or worm is typically brightly coloured or patterned. It is connected to the frogfish’s illicium, a modified dorsal spine that extends above the fish’s head.

The primary function of this esca is to act as a bait to attract unsuspecting prey. Frogfish are ambush predators that rely on camouflage and patience to catch their food while I just happened to be there at the time it was fishing when my lights attracted all kinds of plankton. By waving the esca back and forth or moving it in a manner that resembles the movement of a small fish or worm, the frogfish creates the illusion of an easy meal for other fish or invertebrates.

The esca’s appearance and movement, combined with the frogfish’s ability to change its skin colour and texture to blend in with its surroundings, make it extremely effective at luring prey within striking range. Once a potential prey item gets close enough, the frogfish can rapidly open its large mouth, creating a vacuum that sucks in the unsuspecting victim.

It’s worth noting that the esca is not present in all species of frogfish, and its size, shape, and colouration can vary among different species. Some frogfish even have the ability to regenerate their esca if it becomes damaged or lost. What a remarkable adaptation that showcases the incredible diversity of strategies employed by organisms in the animal kingdom to capture their food!

If you live near the sea or have easy access, you can document marine life too! Just use your smartphone and house it in a universal Divevolk housing! Works for both Android and iPhone!

Get a discount when you purchase it directly from the manufacturer here:- https://bit.ly/Seatouch4Max

More info on the world’s first true touchscreen underwater housing:- https://bit.ly/mydivevolk

Couple it with a powerful LED dive light with red light to spot critters:- https://amzn.to/3TP5Nc6

Subscribe to my Youtube channel to learn more about marine life behaviour!

Don’t fall for the sheer size or large number of mAH because in today’s world, that won’t do the job for the higher tech batteries that require higher power delivery (PD). Today’s standard is using USB-C PD 3.0, which allows for 100W transfers from a single, rated cable.

My recent acquisition of the GaN charger as I’ve detailed all about it here, got me to inspect my old powerbanks that have lasted me for years. I’ve to say, they will now serve me when I go camping, to power up fairy lights and lanterns for the atmosphere at night! None of them are able to efficiently recharge my Note 10+ 4,300mAh battery that’s rated to 45W PD 3.0!

These specs are what’s needed today. I’ve done the research so you don’t have to sweat to find which one to go for. As long as your powerbank operate in these conditions, your phone will be recharged faster. Look also for the Quick Charge 3.0 (QC). Your devices could be either or these standards to quickly recharge a depleted battery.

The Romoss SW20PF 20000mAh has the requirements to support bigger capacity batteries in the later generation smartphones. Imagine charging your tablet and phone with 5A of delivery while on the move!

Output :
5V 3A or 9V 2A or 12V 1.5A (For Type-C)

What the above means is, the recharge rate for batteries that charge on 5V is 3Amp, 9V at 2Amp, 12V at 1.5A, if all 3 used together, would be 5V 3A.
If a single device is being charged, 4.5V 5A or 5V 4.5A or 9V 2A or 12V 1.5A (USB-A/22.5W MAX)

Input or recharging of powerbank:
5V 3A or 9V 2A (for Type-C)
5V 2A or 9V 2A (for Lightning)
5V 2A or 9V 2A (for Micro USB)

This is where the GaN charger comes in. When you need to recharge your powerbank for the next day where you will be away from charging outlets, this 140W charger will do the job in record time.

Remember to always buy from official stores on these platforms!

The Dessini Cooking Robot at RM549 is great starter if you want one but don’t want to spend thousands on it. Only setback is there is no built-in recipes but if you are a cook, you would have tons of recipe books to refer to already! It has pretty much everything I want from a cooking robot without breaking my bank/wallet/arm/leg…..

What’s more, today only, you can use the 10% discount voucher to get this unit at less than RM500! Only from Lazada!

Dessini Cooking Robot

For the discerning and gadget-conscious cook, the Tokit Omni Cook looks good, has accessible recipes on the interface and a 2-year warranty if you get it from the official store on Lazada only. (Resellers on Shopee only offer 1 year warranty and doesn’t give the free steamer dish). There is an add-on voucher to get a RM700 discount now so at RM3,709 it’s a great deal and half the price of a Thermomix!

Tokit Omni Cook from Lazada

Tokit Omni Cook recipes access

As someone who loves to cook, I understand the effort and time that goes into preparing a delicious meal from scratch. However, I also know that sometimes life can get busy, and we don’t always have the luxury of spending hours in the kitchen. That’s where a cooking robot comes in.

With a cooking robot, I can save time by automating many of the tasks that usually require manual effort, such as chopping, dicing, mincing, blending, stewing, and kneading. This means I can spend less time in the kitchen and more time to do other things. I can grind any kind of nuts into powder too!

Not only that, but cooking robots offer a high level of consistency and accuracy, meaning I can replicate recipes more easily and predict the results with greater confidence. I can even multitask with a cooking robot by having it cook and blend simultaneously or knead dough or continuously stir while preparing a stew! Purists will often argue that having a machine like that is cheating, but you still have to have a certain degree of comprehension of cooking to use a machine that can help you save time and effort so what price do you place on quick precision cooking and processing??? Do you still want to sweat over a pestle and mortar???

Cooking robots are also incredibly versatile and offer a wide range of cooking functions, from steaming vegetables to baking bread. I don’t need multiple appliances for different tasks, so I can save space and money. I can prepare healthier meals more easily. By automating tasks such as chopping vegetables and steaming fish, there is nothing much that a cooking robot can’t do. I can even create nutritious meals or stews in advance before I storing in a thermal pot for camping.

If you find it cheaper elsewhere, do check on the warranty period it offers as well as other caveats. Let me know what you will cook with it!

If you find that your phone drains faster than you can charge it, you need this charger. If you’re constantly on the go and need power to charge all your devices in super fast time, you need this charger. (You will also need a fast-rated charging cable, not any ordinary cable to maximise the power delivery from these kinds of chargers, a review which I will do in another time )

Think of the times you have forgotten your battery charger on a crucial trip and the panic attack you got as a result! It has happened to me and I’m glad I’ve converted most gadgets including my mouse and keyboard to USB-C rechargeable ones not to mention torchlights, dive lights, external battery chargers which are USB rechargeable. Having a high powered 140W charger means it’s able to recharge your power station on days you need to go offgrid to!

Awei PD21 140W GaN Charger

This is the link to get it from the official store of Awei in Lazada which offers 6mths international warranty and many local return points to submit a claim and return it physically should you need to do so. This is one advantage against Shopee which doesn’t have any should you wish to return any product within their warranty period. In addition, you can select the slimmer profile of US 2-pin rather than the clunky UK 3-pin that we use here. It is far better to pack in pouches keeping everything streamlined. The charger has an input voltage of 100 – 240v, that you need not worry about conversion in any country you travel to.

Go to this link and it will take you to your Lazada app. Save it to your wishlist or add it to cart as you please. It’s one of the best purchases I’ve ever made! Discounted price now is at RM214. You may find it cheaper elsewhere but without warranty nor the option to select the US 2-pin charger.

https://bit.ly/aweiPD21

So what on earth is Gallium Nitride (GaN)?? In the simplest sense, it is the future of chargers. It is a semiconductor material that has gained popularity in the world of electronic devices, especially in USB-C chargers.

High power output: GaN chargers can provide higher power output compared to conventional chargers, making them suitable for charging high-powered devices such as laptops, tablets and smartphones. They are smaller and more compact compared to conventional chargers, which makes them more portable and easier to carry around.

GaN chargers have a higher efficiency than conventional chargers, which means they waste less energy and generate less heat. This means that GaN chargers can transfer more power from the power source to the device with minimal energy loss, resulting in reduced energy consumption and lower electricity costs.

GaN chargers can have multiple ports, which means you can charge several devices simultaneously. You get faster charging than conventional chargers, which is a significant advantage for people who are always on the go and need their devices charged quickly or like me who travel to remote places with window of opportunity to charge while they power up for a set duration of time! I remember the days when dive resorts were only powered up by generator sets from 6pm till 6am daily. I had to scramble to charge my batteries for the many devices that needed to be powered by them, and rotate with those whom I was sharing the power outlet with. Agonising when you’re a photographer.

GaN chargers are designed to provide safe charging, and they are equipped with safety features such as over-current/over-voltage/overheat protection. They are more eco-friendly than conventional chargers because they waste less energy, which is good for the environment and can also save you money on your electricity bill. This alone will convince me to purchase another one solely for home use while my existing one goes travelling with me.

GaN chargers are future-proof because they are compatible with the latest USB-C technology and can charge a wide range of devices, including smartphones, laptops, tablets, camera batteries, lights and gaming consoles.

You can get a similar one on Amazon here:-

Here’s one camouflaged juvenile Purple Heron just for you…..

It’s important for me that reporting the truth is vital to the conservation of ecosystem, people are educated on the reasons to conserve and preserve because any environment built with effort and time can be destroyed by those who promote bad practices and set bad examples. Not everyone who carries a banner of ecotourism are eco-friendly or have the welfare of wildlife as priority. It is apparent in how they conduct their business and how you as a patron of their services rendered, call out on them.

今天FB提醒我，我做攝影記者的目的。從小，為了與野生動物互動，我把我收養的四隻狗和十七隻貓的經歷注意到他們的行為，到牠們離開世界。一張照片需要映出真實事情並不靠描述。我還喜歡跟動物相處。

有時候事情很難看得出，所以應該告訴真相的事情，這將保留事實，即你首先捕獲獨特性。

報導真相對於保護生態系統至關重要，因為人們受到保護和保存的理由的教育，因為任何建立在努力和時間之上的環境都可能被那些鼓吹不良做法並設置壞榜樣的人破壞。不是每個攜帶生態旅游標語的人都是生態友好型的，或者以野生動物為福。他們如何開展業務以及如何作為他們提供的服務的讚助人顯而易見，呼籲他們。

Finally! An underwater housing for smartphones! Beginning with the ever popular iPhone version, Divevolk has innovated a version of underwater housing to have true touchscreen ability on the entire real estate of your phone screen! Not buttons that work on Bluetooth connection or restrictive presses on the volume buttons. The gel-filled layer is the piece of spongy-feeling layer between your phone’s screen and you. Any screen protector would have to be removed before inserting into the housing on its specially moulded tray designed for specific models of iPhones from iPhone 6 to 6plus, 7 to 7plus, 8 to 8plus, 10 to 10Max. This is to facilitate the sensor to sense your finger contact more effectively on the phone as the ambient pressure is already exerting a force on the entire gel layer, the phone needs to sense your ‘finger’ to register it as a contact.

Android-users will rejoice soon when their much-anticipated Android version of the housing is released in August! Yes! Yes! My dependable, photographically superior Samsung Note FE (and all the Samsung Note series & S series as well as the Huawei P & Mate series) will get to capture marine life eventually and with the inbuilt Pro features of White Balance adjustment, shutter speeds & aperture control, ISO selection from 50 – 800, metering modes and auto focus areas (helpful in shooting macro) with special photo effects! Only a month away!

If you have not started underwater photography yet, how many times have you wished you could take your trusty smartphone underwater with you? A gadget that you are familiar with, can operate the camera app with ease and don’t have to figure out technical jargon??? Have you been intimidated by complex camera gear and equally complicated setup? It kills the joy of gearing up even before you get into the water. Having Divevolk’s SeaTouch 2 Pro eliminates the complexity of a time-consuming setup, freeing you from the stress and annoyance of misplacing essential accessories that comes with a huge camera setup. It has only one door that has a double O’ring and it’s secured with nuts and bolts. Forget all the chunky gear that photographers need to lug along with strobes, lights and accessories. The entire setup plus macro and wide angle lenses, ball arms and tray with 2 lights and a float fit into one cabin-worthy case with room to spare. It was just about everything I carried to my trip to Bidung Island in Terengganu. I didn’t even used the lights as there was ample sunlight for my dives.

If you have been taking pictures underwater with your humongous gear, let me give you a reason to have this on your next outing, especially if you are going on a business trip with a detour to a neighbouring dive site and can’t carry that behemoth with you. This gadget doesn’t require tray and arms because the centre attachment grip has grooves for screwing on two bendable mini lights plus snoot for your macro-mucking about. Having a housing ready means you never have to miss that opportunity no matter where your boss sends you!

Divevolk has an assisted camera app that you need to download and install to enable you to utilise the different WB preset modes. I was using a borrowed iPhone 6 (I’m an Android girl!! Android!!!) and the native app leaves a lot to be desired. The only time I used the native camera app was when I needed to shoot panorama with it. With the wide angle lens and red filter attached, the result is better than shooting ordinarily without. The app has 4 shooting functions, Time-lapse, slo-mo, photo & video mode. When you want your video to have adjusted WB, you have to use the Photo mode first to pre-select the preset and select Video afterwards to continue with the preset white balance. It has to be said that my favourite mode is the panorama and video mode.

I had one problem, the housing (with phone inside) was lighter than my 2 lights and shooting videos was like driving a car, my hands kept swivelling the setup causing rotational shake! That can be fixed on the computer but it’s another step that I’d rather miss. I would want to shoot it right from the start. The other problem I encountered was the vignetting on the left corners and apparently the attachments that enable the wet lenses didn’t cater to iPhone 6 camera placement. This is not a problem with the other iPhone models.

The quality of the video is dependent upon the quality of the phone model, in my case, I used the iPhone 6 that only has 1080p and not 4K resolution and I shot in 4:3 instead of 16:9 without realising it. Even without the wide angle lens attached, videos came out pretty decent.

All the videos are edited for clarity, white balance tweaked further for visual appeal. Raw footage is useable if you are not visually-fussy like how I am.

I conduct smartphone photo editing workshops periodically and will update the schedule when available. You can purchase one directly at https://bit.ly/mydivevolk and get a token discount.

Thank you, dear friends, for calling me and crying with me, letting me know how you identified with my pain as you too, felt the grief that I am still feeling. I’m truly sorry but am so grateful that your calls and messages made me feel better. Some of you have journeyed with Rufus & I from the days of FFF rescue, babysat him in my absence and missions, and experienced all the hilarious drama he had gotten himself into (and you in the process) and I know that Rufus had an extended family in all of you.

I leave you with this peaceful picture of him curled up and sleeping on my bed and be comforted in the knowledge of what’s written inEcclesiastes 3:18-21: “As for humans, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals. Surely the fate of human beings is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath (literally “spirit“); humans have no advantage over animals. Everything is meaningless. All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return. Who knows if the human spirit rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?” And in Luke 12:6 “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God.” Although there’s no biblical support to say whether dogs will end up in heaven, I still find the comfort in knowing that animals will continue to exist in the Kingdom of Heaven in Isaiah 11:6-9.

We buried him at the side of the pond near my house, underneath a shady tree. From dust he came, to dust he returned. Out of the 12yrs I had him, 9 of them were the most exciting, joyful, funny and adventurous of all. I only wished I had more than these 2 months of his remaining time to spend with him. He has brought me so many unforgettable moments as my bodyguard, outdoor companion furkid. May God resurrect him one day when Jesus returns for he was chosen in the Lord for me. (Romans 16:13) Rest in peace, Darling. You will roam free with the rest who had gone before you now.

Pictures taken on our last day outdoors together. We went to Genting Highlands where he could experience the cold in his winter attire and be in the natural again.

My cousin, Pearl Kwok, sent me tickets to the soft opening of Jewel Changi Airport when she knew I was in Singapore for some business, to see the lush Shiseido Forest Valley and witness the HSBC Rain Vortex, the world’s tallest indoor waterfall. Majestic, it was! Thanks, Pearl! I had a pleasant time indeed!

[nextflipbook id=”1″]

Then some despicable lowlife had caused all my files to be 201kb across the board and equally abundance of ZERO BYTES within those. I had started my 5th term of Chinese language learning in Taiwan and having to keep up with school work as well as rows and rows of mindless writing to commit to memory, I had to deal with this annoyance.

My last backup was in 2015, which made me realise I had taken a very long hiatus from blogging. Rightly so, my life changed with the prayer I had asked over New Year’s Day of 2016.

I had to search my archives for the backups and FTPing them took another zillion hours. I now know why I never carved out a career in web mastering. Best of all, my ex-boss conferenced call with me to troubleshoot all the irregularities, a reminiscent of the days where we used to work on web portals and he, write lines of codes. He said, “Here is your blank page, I will handle the boxes in Excel and remove the lines for you because I know you can’t be boxed up.” He was right. I am a blank canvas free to define what I feel.

My website is still not quite there yet. The gallery is inactive and I’ve tweaked whatever I could in the background. I just need time which I don’t have especially when I have a teacher who thinks I should know what was taught last term when I was not even in the same course. I did one year at NTNU and have now moved to Chinese Culture University.

I have tried to post some Chinese characters and they are not showing. Pardon the absence of pictures in some posts. I’m still trying to restore my files from this ZERO bytes problem.

The Chinese people, and by this, I encompass the Chinese race, are very good at maths, accounts, counting & calculating. Without a doubt, they do very well in any trade. As a race, they keep records and also records of wrongdoings as they make an example of what not to follow in the 成語 (idioms in 4 characters) that best describes them. I for one, don’t like Maths, hate accounts even more and can’t for the life of me, keep record of what others have borrowed or what I’ve spent on. (More on idioms in my next article. I had spent countless hours trying to rebuild my website that got hacked several weeks back in the midst of my studies and assignments so please bear with me.)

bei

甲骨文-Ancient Writing

Then I discovered the word and radical 貝(bèi) which means shellfish or cowrie and currency. In ancient times, money cowrie (Cypraea moneta) was used as a trading currency (money) in the shipping trade routes from Tarshish all along the way to China. So no surprise there that any word that has to do with buying/selling or monies and any association with it, had a 貝 in it! Look at the word 買 – buy, 賣 – sell, 費 – fees, 資 – resources, 價 – price, 購 – shopping, 財 – luck, fortune, 貨 – goods, supplies, 負 – to bear/shoulder, 債 – debt, 責 – responsibility, 寳 – precious, 貴 – expensive, 質 – substance, 貿 – trade, 賞 – reward/award, 貸 – loan, borrow/lend, 賺 – profit/gain, earn, 貪 – greed and many more. Of the words listed, the character for debt, contains a person and responsibility, denoting the debt comes with the obvious burden of the inflicted self! Even substance and greed stems from this ‘money!’

While I love the idea of 購物 (shopping) being described, what resonates with me is the word 賞 (reward, award) that comes with 負擔 (bearing the burden). I see how God had kept the generations recorded through the characters that were formed long before there were these sophisticated words. And He is teaching me about the origins of finances and the burden of life through this money cowrie (mollusc/shell) that I can identify with being someone who has carved out a profession working in the ocean. Each of these discoveries make me want to learn more and I hope it inspires you to take up Chinese so that we can do this discovery together! The next time I see a money cowrie when I go diving, I am going to call it 我的主的寶貝教育– my Lord’s precious education! #Taiwan #Mandarin501 #Chinese #characters #nolongerbanana #nowmango #謝謝林老師

I started an intensive Mandarin course that intensified not only my language capability but my own understanding of a culture that was not quite there for me not knowing why things are done in ways that couldn’t be explained by my Western influenced late dad, neither could it be articulated by my late mom for she was always busy making food or going out to play mahjong with her friends. Questions like why do we celebrate Chinese New Year or why do we have to have specific kinds of foods served during then or why do we do things this way and not that way, never really had an answer because the customs and practices were handed down by parents and grandparents and their parents who were educated and taught in English. The culture began to unfold itself from what’s ingrained in the Chinese characters as I will be finishing my 3rd term after Chinese New Year.

Grabbing my monopod (because I left my tripod in Malaysia), a chair and thermal mug of hot chocolate, my housemate and I went up Xiangshan ?? to the lookout platform and made our way through the enthusiastic crowd who had already gathered an hour before to find a place to park till countdown.

Sorry for the vibrations as I had to jostle with the crowd to get that window of opportunity to capture this. Hope you had a great start to the New Year!

There is no threat of snatch theft, molestation, indecent exposure (flashers), rape threats from cybertroopers, robbery, unjust Acts, intimidation by rulers, assault, verbal assault by virtue of being a female where I had experienced it in my own country. I am staying on here to make a life in an environment that would help me thrive and rather than be in an environment threatening my existence due to my ethnicity and gender. What threats you say, just look at the whole system of administration and what is done to our (homeland) state of economy and what has been ‘borrowed’ from our employees provident fund. Do you think you can retire when it’s time to retire???

Until such a time when I have amassed enough skills to contribute to the rebuilding of a nation, I will remain optimistic from afar.
Tomorrow I will be collecting my classes schedule from NTNU and on 2 June, I’ll be starting a new chapter of my life as a student. PM me if you want details on how to study in Taiwan as an adult. Apart from the occasional earthquakes here, passing typhoons, there really isn’t much to be worried about.

When dynasties once ruled the empire of Goryeo (what Korea was named once), kings were born & thrones were fought for. King Taejo Yi Seonggye declared a new dynasty in 1392 under the name of Joseon, thus reviving an older dynasty also known as Joseon that was founded four thousand years previously and renamed it to “Kingdom of Great Joseon”. He established himself a palace, known as Gyeongbokgung which served as the main palace for successor Kings of the Joseon dynasty and their households until it was systematically destroyed & burnt to ruins during the Japanese invasion. Restoration & reconstruction work began after it was left derelict for centuries & it stands as the most beautiful & the grandest of all five palaces in Korea today.

Walking alongside the fortress.

The old & new stone blocks as part of the restoration process.

‘Taejo’ is a temple name, a posthumous title used for Chinese, Korean & Vietnamese royalty. Chosen to reflect the circumstances of the emperor’s reign, it means ‘ancestors.’ In Korea, temple names are used to refer to Kings in the Goryeo & Joseon dynasties.

One of Gyeongbokgung’s grand entrances.

The palace was not the only grand structure he built. The foresight of King Taejo who was once a General of the army of the dynasty he overthrew, knew the grandeurs of a kingdom should be demarcated by a structure around the city he ruled. He wanted to build a fortress. He decreed & enlisted the service of one hundred ninety seven thousand four hundred (197,400) young men around the country over two years to participate in the erection of an 18 kilometre fortress with four main gates and four auxiliary gates that fell in line with the Chinese cardinal directions of East, South, West, North. They are Heunginjimun (East Gate), Sungnyemun (South Gate), Donuimun (West Gate) and Sukjeongmun (North Gate) with the East & the South gates being designated as National Treasures today. The fortress took 30 years to complete.

Gyeonghoeru was constructed in 1412, the 12th year of the reign of King Taejong, Gyeonghoeru Pavilion, is a hall used to hold important and special state banquets during the Joseon Dynasty.

The Throne Room.

King Taejo designated an auspicious day for the groundbreaking ceremony on 1 January 1396. The fortress was completed in 98 days after the war along the mountains of Bugaksan, Naksan, Namsan, and Inwangsan. The wall contained eight gates, all of which were originally constructed between 1396 and 1398. He ordered for the stones to be inscribed with the names of the county and prefecture responsible for constructing a given wall section, as well as the name of that section, while in the mid-Joseon, they were marked with the names of the supervisors and lead technicians, and the construction date. The inscribed stone blocks in the photo below, can be seen outside the wall, at the end section of the Naksan Trail.

Mayor Park arriving at the start of the tour.

Mayor Park elaborates on the history of the Fortress.

There are six walking courses or trails you can do, the Baegaksan/Bugaksan Trail, the Naksan Trail, the Namsan Trail, the Inwangsan Trail, Heunginjimun Trail & Sungnyemun Trail. We were taken on a journey along the Naksan Trail by the Mayor himself, Mr. Park Won Soon, who’s fondly loved by the people of Seoul for his candour & spontaneity. We walked along the path parallel to the section of the wall that cordoned off Ihwa Mural Village from the ‘’outer city’, marvelling at the artists who painted the stairways & walls of this village with vibrant murals, thus enlivening the place. We passed these colourful expressions either adorned with paint or mosaic-plastered on the riser of the staircase making the vertical hike not so challenging. This village was once left out in the urbanisation process, used to be seen as a backward neighbourhood but a collaboration between the public, cultural artists, the metropolitan government and the residents turned Ihwa-dong into a vibrant art village.

Despite the fact that he overthrew the dynasty of Goryeo, and purged officials who remained loyal to the old regime, King Taejo Yi Seonggye was very much regarded as a revolutionary and a decisive ruler who deposed the inept, obsolete and crippled governing system to save the nation from many foreign forces and conflicts. His sons of different wives, fought & killed each other in a preemptive move after the death of his beloved second Queen (wife). While he was still mourning, he crowned his second son to be king but 2 years later, this King voluntarily abdicated it to his brother, Yi BangWon, who became King Taejong, the one who rightfully deserved the throne as he had demonstrated the best potential of a good ruler even during his father’s reign.

An artisan in the village who specialises in tie-dye artwork.

The artisan explains the colouring process.

The Joseon period has left an indelible mark on modern Korean etiquette, cultural norms, societal attitudes towards current issues. A substantial legacy was left to the Koreans of today, with much of the modern Korean language and its dialects derived from the culture and traditions of Joseon.

This fortress, even with some parts of it torn down in the city’s development process, significant parts had been preserved as a historical reminder of the dynasty that influenced the culture of Koreans today. It has in the running to be listed as UNESCO’s World Heritage Site by 2017.

What else can you do in Seoul? Gwangjang Market food experience, silver ring smithing & kimchi making workshop in the next post as I bring you other hidden treasures!

For more information, go to Seoul Tourism’s official page of the Fortress here and download your guide book! http://bit.ly/1gc6iJl
To download the English version, you need to view the site in Korean to get to the download section because the English section of the guide book doesn’t work. I’ve simplified the process for you by including the direct download link here:- http://bit.ly/1IuQ88R

Full resolution pictures can be see in my Flickr album

Added Number 8!

Dear divers, I’m putting this together for the benefit of the many who had asked me ‘how would I know if someone is a good instructor or not?’  As most newbies have no idea where to start, or may have been referred to one by his/her friend who has done the course, take this as a guide for you and your non-diver friends to select the right instructor for your dive pursuits.

1) Always ask to see the instructor’s qualification card/credentials. You are placing your life in his/her hands, you better know for sure if the instructor in question is REALLY CERTIFIED & QUALIFIED, RENEWED & CURRENT with their respective training agencies and is AUTHORISED to conduct courses. If police can stop you on the road to demand to see your driver’s license when you are not a threat, why shouldn’t you exercise the same courtesy on someone you hardly know who will give you instructions to dive?

2) Find out how long your instructor has been diving, when he/she became certified as instructor & how many dives they have logged. Some instructors still keep physical logbooks that run into hundreds of pages but some have chosen to keep digital memory in their computers. It’s great to have new instructors teach you because they would be placing a great amount of care to your wellbeing & mastery of skills. It’s also great to have seasoned instructors teach you because every skill taught is almost effortless and without anxiety because of what’s ingrained into the instructor’s memory.

3) Be aware of team-teachers, your dive theory sessions, confined water (pool or beach) & open water (sea) sessions may be taught by different instructors and it’s imperative that you know each of them are QUALIFIED TO DO SO, not have divemasters-in-training put in your care (a common practice that’s against the standards for new divers). State your questions & preference when signing up for the course in a dive centre/resort. (For foreign instructors, check if they have work permit to operate in Malaysia because if anything happens & you want to proceed with a legal battle, you may not find him/her again. Having said this, there are a good number of dive instructors of foreign nationalities who have made Malaysia home and have  Malaysian spouses. They offer a wealth of knowledge that locals can’t so there are pros to it. Do your checks first). – This is not meant to be discriminatory but due to the liability issues, I need to state this out so please don’t get offended, my dear foreign peers!

4) Be aware of instructors who are already suspended/expelled from any dive training agencies. They may continue to teach but have other instructors SIGN OFF your certification card. Reasons for expulsion could be due to serious violation of standards and procedures, negligence & error, some leading to death of students. This is a malpractice that you should not accept. Be sure that your instructor FOLLOWS THE STANDARDS. Ask to see the standards for each level of dive course that you are embarking on, then you would know what are the skills required for you to master at each one.

5) Instructor’s reputation. If you have been referred to your instructor, chances are, he/she had been teaching well. You would still need to do your due diligence check of point 1 – 4 above. For example, a fierce ex-military instructor may be uttering mouthfull of profanities during your training so be prepared for it. A octo-instructor may have hands everywhere, just like an octopus so if you don’t like to be groped, state beforehand that you don’t like to be touched although, you must be aware that during water training sessions, there is a lot of contact between instructor and student. A worldly instructor is someone who has probably travelled the world to dive leisurely but lack the experience to teach in different kinds of environment. Be sure to ask ‘where has he/she taught before (which seas, as each geographical location has different sea conditions). (Though I have been diving in cold waters, I still get a shock each time I enter the water & I certainly would not want to teach in those kinds of temperatures.)

6) Find out your instructor’s knowledge of marine life & marine conservation. If anyone makes a living off the seas, that person ought to know a great deal about the ocean & its inhabitants. The passion towards preservation of marine life must be paramount in an instructor’s life and walk. What you are getting from an instructor is years of experience with encounters of marine life that would influence how you would interact in the water. If you get an instructor who pokes & prods animals or catches a Nemo to put inside his/her mask then releases it only to be preyed upon by a lizard fish, or teaches your to ride a turtle or break open a sea urchin, or worse, pulling a poor octopus out of its lair till it has to squirt ink in defence to run away, you are getting a rogue, unprofessional cowboy instructor who has no regard for all life forms. Avoid him/her. Be sure to ask around, ask your diver friends for recommendations and don’t be afraid to change instructors or appoint someone new to teach you. You are not bound to one with a lifetime contract.

7) Watch out for instructors who get high on drugs/weed/alcohol. The last thing you need is a mentally impaired instructor in the water. Watch out for dilated pupils in their eyes or drunken breath. Don’t be afraid to say no to his/her instructions to enter the water. If he/she passes out, you are not trained to lift him/save him/her & can be a liability to you.

8) Don’t go for the cheapest dive course. You pay peanuts, expect monkey service. Dive instructors assigned to you when you sign up at the dive expo would be those in training or worse, those who have yet to qualify to teach. Not all dive centres would do that but most who want to cut cost, would. A dive operation has costs to upkeep, equipment to maintain and staff to pay. If you pay peanuts, the effects will be passed down the line, you’d get untrained/lackadaisical crew, lousy service and have no avenues to complain because of the price you paid that came with no perks. When I learnt how to dive, I chose to learn from the best and paid a premium to get as much as I could out of someone who was encouraged to teach me. When you learn from the best, you would spot all those mistakes from people who didn’t acquire the skills when they ought to have learnt them in their course. You won’t know what the instructor didn’t teach you if you don’t even know what they are suppose to teach. Refer to point #4 on laying out the set of standards that you must learn before you earn your certification.

9) If an instructor tells you that you don’t need to know how to swim to be able to dive, please mark his/her name and report to the dive agencies. You MUST BE ABLE TO SWIM 200m WITHOUT SCUBA gear nonstop and tread water for 10mins. This is in the ISO Standards that reputable dive agencies are accredited with. You will spend 95% of the time in water so what makes you think you can save yourself should you get into trouble or get separated from your group? Can you fly? No? Then learn to swim first. The ocean can wait for you and so can your instructor. Don’t be so eager to be run before you learn to walk. Safety is of utmost importance. In 1999/2000, Oriental Queen liveaboard hit a rock and sunk, but the instructor on board was quick to alert everyone who was sleeping to jump overboard and swim to shore. They did and was saved. What happens if you are in that same situation?

I hope the above serves as a guide for you to select your appropriate instructor. Do not be afraid to ask questions, even if you think they are stupid/silly questions because a good instructor will always make you understand what you are getting yourself into.

Gone are the days where extract-happy dentists freely rule your jaw as they are no more with the emergence of bright, cheery and friendly women dentists who would make you feel at ease with their assuring conversations with you as you go through normal procedures. I have known Dr. Fauziah, or Fay as we fondly call her, for good number of years since we went diving but only began my dental appointments with her since 2010. She had made known to me about this procedure called composite veneer makeover but I’d put it at the back of my mind until recently when I decided to do it as I was going to represent Malaysia for Samsung to visit Korea sponsored by Korean Tourism Organisation!

Composite bonding or just bonding — which refers to direct composite veneers — is an inexpensive and effective way to restore and correct small chips,  cracks, crookedness and discolouration in the teeth. I’ve had too many teeth grow out at once when I was growing up and removing them caused the other teeth in their position to misalign. Now with this procedure of placing this translucent clay (veneer) on the tooth enamel that has been roughen by polish and bonding agent applied, Fay shaped this clay-like veneer over each tooth that’s crooked and aligned it to make the row flush with the rest of the teeth in proper positon. Then UV light is zapped onto the tooth after applying the final polish to set the veneer to harden. She did this with each tooth till the jaggedness is as even as possible.

She spent about 15 minutes on each tooth and after about 2 hours, I could beam with a smirk from ear to ear because I finally have sorted out my imperfection with this perfect method! This minimally invasive method does not remove any teeth (which is permanent) and is built around my jawline, and it’s almost instant,  which was one of the deciding factors for me. The best thing about it is, Fay and her team of dentists have been restoring people’s smiles for years and their expertise is rivalled by no other. When other dentists charge an arm or a leg to have you do a crowning at RM1,800 per tooth, composite veneer only costs RM400 per tooth, a figure afforded by many more.

This brilliant procedure is for you if you have any of the following:-

Spaces between the teeth.
Poorly shaped or crooked teeth.
Broken or chipped teeth.
Permanently externally stained and/or internally stained teeth.
Unsightly or stained fillings.

You can improve your appearance by having this composite veneer makeover but it cannot change your jawline or give you orthodontic help. It’s suitable for anyone who doesn’t want to spend a few years of their adulthood in braces but want to have an almost perfect, aligned set of teeth!

You can find Fay & her special team of dentists at www.drfauziah.com and do tell her that you read it here at pummkin.net! Her clinics are at Publika & Jalan Raja Laut but if you want to see her, she would be at Publika. Here’s to a new life with painlessly straightened teeth!!!

Crinoids are what divers know as Feather Stars, sporting feathery arms that sway back and forth towards the centre of the body. One of the easiest subjects to photograph, crinoids are prehistoric animals in the class of echinoderms with male and female species found clinging onto coral reef cliffs often asleep in the day or actively feeding at night. The challenge is to photograph the tenants that the Crinoid itself hosts. It’s important to note that no photograph is worth abusing the animal for so please handle your subjects with care as you would a live animal on land. Crinoids are somewhat sticky and brittle. You wouldn’t want to break any of their arms off in your quest to shoot the shrimp within so keep your buoyancy neutral and coax the star to do a grand opening for you. I will teach you how.

After witnessing so many dive guides using their swizzle sticks to roughly ‘part the arms’ of the Crinoid to show divers what it holds within, I felt compelled to write this article to educate the many of you who might follow the bad habit of disturbing nature for your pictures. I practice a minimal disturbance to no disturbances in all my shots. They are never manipulated, nor had my subjects tossed in mid water to get them flaring, fearful or angry and I implore all of you to nurture good habits. The ability to boast of your shots is in the way you photograph them, not how the shot was obtained with manipulation. When you understand marine animal behaviour, you will get your incredible shots. Having spent the last 17 years teaching and 12 years of photographing underwater, I am moving towards educating the diver of the habits that you should possess to encounter your subjects.

What you need in your gear:-
1) Dive equipment of course.
2) Carabiners/loops/holsters to streamline your dangling hoses (SPG/Octopus/reels/SMBs)
3) LED torch
4) Dive computer to record depth and time you see the animal to relocate it next time.
5) No gloves unless you are diving in 15? waters
6) Hood to keep your hair tucked away from curious octopuses
7) Any camera housed in respective cases
8) Marine life guide books

Pre-dive preparation:-
1) Clean your hands after you use sunblock
2) Secure all gadgets with lanyard in your pockets.
3) Identify the subject you want to shoot.
4) Decide with buddy how much time you want to spend on each subject and if you find your target, be considerate to allow your buddy to take shots as well.

It’s not what camera you have but your knowledge of marine life that would get you nearer to the animal. By knowing what your subject lives on and feeds on, you have already increased your chances of finding it. By knowing your reef, you would have access to the inhabitants if you know what feeds on what and when.

The Shrimp also took on the colours and pattern of this Crinoid, Oxycomanthus Bennetti.

Close-up crop of the shrimp.

The basis of not touching anything in your dive education has been the point of contention in dive circles as we see dive guides competing with one another to find elusive critters with their sticks/pointers and completely lifting the animal out of the sand even though it’s meant to be camouflaged. I found it deeply offensive and I usually stop following the guide to find my own interaction with critters when I am not the one guiding the trip. When marine scientists collect specimens for research, they can’t avoid touching. We are not scientists neither are we collecting any specimens but we want to document them and there would be some degree of touching (hence rule number 1 in pre-dive preparation is to have clean hands) but not to the point of harassing the animal.

Not all crinoids have critters within. There are several species that host them. One of my favourites is the Oxycomanthus bennetti. 9 out 10 animals that I find have ‘tenants’ within them! On this particular one, I found 3 different types of critters! They all form a symbiotic relationship with the host and even adapt to its colours and patterns. Two Clingfish, a shrimp and a crab (not displayed) were darting about as I got closer.

There are 2 Clingfish in the picture and a shrimp. Can you spot them?

How do you get a Feather Star to open up its multiple arms for you? You only need to tap the spine of the arms gently & softly. As you begin tapping, be mindful that your neoprene suit doesn’t touch any of the brittle feathers or you might end up ripping the poor little thing apart. By tapping with your finger pads softly, it will begin to spread out. Your camera settings would have to be ready for the shot as you might only get one or two shots of the critters within. Set your focusing to Spot and metering to Centre-weighted. Crinoid will stay ‘open’ for you if it feels tickled in all its arms as long as you avoid touching the cilia (feathers). I use a drink stirrer with a ball tip to coax the critter (shrimp/crab/clingfish) into view from the opposite side carefully without touching the Crinoid. Once I get about 4 or 5 shots or a video if the subject is actively moving, mission is accomplished & I move on to other subjects on the reef. Minimal touching and absolutely no disturbance to the Crinoid. It will soon curl up to get back to sleep when it senses no threat.

For more on marine life and nature documentation, follow Pummkinography on Facebook or follow Pummkin on her trips!

In the last few months of hiatus, I’d spent my time with friends, relatives and catching up on outdoor pursuits all over Germany & Italy and getting a bit of underwater time in Egypt. I took a break from myself because I wanted to get more input to be able to give output. I was writing for work so much that I’ve lost some mojo in the things that once brought me such joy. One event led to the next, and though people may envy my travels, they don’t really know how disconnected I become when I come back from each trip, catching up on friends’ FB feed and desiring fellowship with great buddies. One friend got married, had a baby with a man I didn’t know she married because I thought she was still dating her long time boyfriend whom I happen to also know. I asked her privately, of course, much to my confusion and thankfully, it wasn’t as embarrassing as I thought it would be. Honesty and forthrightness go a long way to preserving relationships. I don’t believe in talking behind anyone’s back unless I’m giving them praises.

I got to a stage in life where I started to place importance in keeping friends who want to stay in touch, I began to keep away from those who are malignant. I became less attached to social media starting with my weaning off Twitter & Google+, using it only to communicate with several people pertaining to current issues. I stay in touch with good friends who are also busy, making no demands on their time as they made no demands on mine and when we meet, it would be as if no time had passed between us at all. I made a resolution last year to only write what would be of good cheer, useful and informative articles for the benefit of my audience who take the time to journey with me.

I was also getting over a traumatic event.

Just before the turn of the New Year, a Christmas party I attended at a dog shelter ended up in a disaster. I couldn’t write about it then because I was distraught and injured. What seemed to be a fine afternoon of celebration in the sun with cheery dogs running about, a sudden storm turned the river outside into a raging torrent that submerged the shelter and all other houses in the vicinity in over 2 metres of muddy water. 13 volunteers and workers including Puspa, the founder of the shelter, Aziz & myself, were scrambling to raise the cages & free the dogs but the flood waters rose so fast, there wasn’t enough time to get all to safety and dry ground resulting in deaths. Everyone did their best to get as many dogs out, those of us who could swim, were grabbing dogs paddling about to hoist them to higher platforms, those who couldn’t, were clinging on to several dogs on trees, pillars & roofs for their dear lives. The scene was right out of a catastrophic mudslide except that this happened in Kajang, on our soil, to our people. Having my supposedly waterproof Sony Xperia Z1 phone in my pocket while I swam to & fro the main gate of the shelter’s compound to call for help, had actually flooded it. If only I can get hold of the footage I filmed when the flood happened, it would give you an idea what we endured before risking our lives to save our dogs. The incident left many broken hearted.

The rain didn’t stop. When the waters rose passed knee deep. I began to pray. This was way beyond what I was trained for in disaster management and life saving but I couldn’t leave them stranded and knowing the majority of our nation could not swim, it was a call of duty. I knew Aziz could swim, having been educated in the U.K., I expected him to be able to. He was rescuing bags of food and the box of frozen chicken. I asked God what to do. By then, the water had reached my waist. A rat swam frantically by. There was also a snake in the water. I didn’t flinch. I was just stunned. It was barely minutes. I had a backpack filled with documents, electronic gadgets, tablets & devices that weren’t protected. I pleaded for help. Lord, if you want me to do this right, please protect my belongings! God made me turn around & there, I saw a bungee cord hanging on the door! Then He showed me a pipe near the roof for me to climb up the window sill to tie my bag there. In my breath, I heaved a sigh of relief and gave thanks to God who always fished me out of trouble. Then the rescue really begun. I tried to stay calm and talked to those who couldn’t swim. We released all dogs within our perimeters to fend for themselves. My priority was human beings, dogs go to heaven any way. Dogs have an inbuilt ability to swim. Humans don’t. The larger dogs in the outside compound cages were freed in time and being social animals, they clamoured onto us & clung on for dear lives onto our shoulders and backs. If I wasn’t a strong swimmer, I would’ve drowned in all that weight. I tossed whoever was in my grasp to either Baskaran, the staff who got onto the higher platform with 20 other panicky dogs or Aziz who would bring the dogs to stand above the hoisted cages. Somehow, they know trouble was brewing. I couldn’t let my voice falter or they would hear my tone of distress that would trouble them even more. The last thing I needed was for the 20+ dogs to jump out of the holding platform at once to head for the torrential river outside the gate. I had scratches and bruises and like the rest, I wasn’t going to let go of them. Joey lost her car in the floods. It was almost like a repeat of Pulau Selat Kering back in 2009.

When the firemen finally got to us, they asked us how many we were and if there are children present. They asked us if we needed to be rescued in the waters well over my head. I said to them, where’s the boat, we only want to be rescued if we know we can leave here with our dogs. Bomba left us. Hmmm……I guess they don’t rescue dogs.

Thiaga from DAP, the party who came to our aid, offered Puspa a factory premise nearby to temporarily host the dogs till she can find something more permanent. Having had floods before, the current shelter is no longer a safe haven and she has got to move before another flood hits and by then, it wouldn’t be coinciding with any more parties with volunteers who know how to swim being present. Coming out to attend Pesta Balakong, the DAP councillor gave us new T-Shirts to change from our totally soaked & stinky attire. My foot was bleeding from having kicked some sharp object underwater but the pain was nothing compared to the pain of losing these beloved dogs in the flood. I don’t know the figures because I didn’t stay behind to witness the depressing sight which the workers had the terrible task of doing. More volunteers arrived after our calls for help reached social media. Anthony was my beacon. I never cried so hard before for the loss of these innocent lives caught in a catastrophe. It was something beyond our control. I cannot speak for the accusations levelled at Puspa on the running of the association but I was there at the scene with her to see her risk her life for her dogs. And so did her workers and volunteers present. I went home in a daze and washed my hair 3 times. I caught a chill but my thoughts were with MIAR. We can leave the incident but the incident can never leave us.

Upon hearing our ordeal, Steven Yong on behalf of HTC Malaysia came forward and gave the 13 of us at MIAR a replacement phone each. What a wonderful thing to do! A major commercial brand reached out to those who stayed behind for their four-legged friends. Thank you, HTC! The HTC Desire 610 is serving me very well. I’m reminded of the dogs that didn’t make it and the dogs that did. I asked God for a place in heaven for each one of them who crossed the Rainbow Bridge that day. And may those who lent a hand during the rescue and the post-rescue clean-up be blessed abundantly for answering the call for help. The empathy shown just blew me away.

This simply means, anyone with an RFID reader/tracker who comes close (or not, depending on tracking device) to your wallet containing credit cards & ATM cards, they may steal vital information and access to your identity (and bank account) within seconds. Pacsafe has a range of RFID-blocking bags & packs, built with anti-theft features such as slashguard wire mesh woven into the bag and slashproof straps and temper-proof zips.

Tatonka Euro Wallet with RFID Blocker

Getting around in Frankfurt & scouring around to look at equipment in their outdoor shops, I found Globetrotter, a 5 -storey trekkers’ haven, that stocks the most comprehensive solutions to camping, trekking, hiking, kayaking & climbing located at the East end of Frankfurt. Here, I found a range of Pacsafe bags amongst other big names in outdoor equipment & bought the Stashsafe100 GII in Midnight Blue, a hip pack with built in anti-theft features & RFID-blocker. I also bought a Tatonka RFID Block wallet for days I don’t need to use the hip pack.

Pacsafe Stashsafe 100 GII hip pack

Inside of main compartment.

Comes with a lock/keys and slash proof strap!

5 storey of excitement!

Bags! Globetrotter has all kinds of backpacks!

To think that Malaysia is the first country to adopt the smart passport system, using RFID technology in 1998, our passports are vulnerable to identity fishing. Whenever I fly, I always have this insecurity about falling asleep & waking up to a ransacked bag. With a hip pack that is lockable on your body, zips that can be secured from opening & straps that are slashproof, I doubt anyone would want to attempt to remove/grab it from me but the added peace of mind of knowing that they can’t is already worth the money paid for. If you travel as much as I do, get the Pacsafe Stashsafe100 GII anti-theft hip pack. You would be glad to walk around the streets of South East Asian cities with the knowledge that nothing would fall out of your bag if it gets slashed neither could anyone pry the bag off you.

Sumbawa & Komodo islands seem to harbour some monstrous sized reef life and their pelagics are ginormous. Giant Trevallies are gigantic, Titan Triggerfish titanic, gargantuan Gorgonians that can wrap you twice over. The Napoleon Wrasse waltzes into schools declaring itself the emperor of the reef and Giant Groupers (Epinephelus fuscoguttatus) prance the neighbourhood without a trace, giving away its camouflage only when it moved. I was many a time, frightened by one in close proximity when I hovered to take pictures over the colourful terrain. The more vibrant cousin, the Coronation Trout (Variola louti), was more visible as it changes colours upon entering & leaving the reef, the prime reason for my decision to take more videos.

By this time, everyone except Team Russia (language barrier), was warming up to one another around meal times as food had always been the centrepiece of conversations in Asian communities. Free access to the soda fridge meant I get to be sugar-powered by Coke after a nitrogen-loaded gawking session underwater. Again the swollen moon made everything explode, not sure if they got excited but I sure did when I caught the courtship ritual of the Trumpetfish at Padang Bai. Could it be that we would get to witness the spontaneous spawning of the reef at this time of the year? It’s hard to contain my joy…..

Anticipating the view of the recently erupted Sangeang volcano that sent a 19km plume of ashcloud into the sky, eager beavers like us (Team China & Team Malaysia) continued to check our location with the map & GPS to see how far off we were & if there was a possibility to get near. The Captain expressed that he was not going to take the risk as molten lava can be seen miles away in the following nights. We were told to get a glimpse of it when we moved closer to Komodo.

Team Austria had to be the walking pharmacy and most medically-equipped couple ever. On the first few days, they kindly whipped out a magic bottle of eardrops that dry out people’s ears as one member of Team Everything-Is-Wrong had gotten an ear infection. Very soon, Team Austria took out some Voltaren pills for one member of Team USA who had gotten a sprained ankle from an injury before she went onboard. She was also my lovely roommate! Her enthusiasm for muck dives was unquenchable as she voraciously searched the guidebooks after each dive for the things she had found.

By that time, I was getting to know everyone except one aloof member of Team China who doesn’t speak English & required his diving buddy to interpret dive briefs to him. A man of few words, he was exceptionally expressive underwater, gesticulating to his awesome interpreter buddy who happened to be an incredible photographer. I think I like him already! We can sign language! And so it was that I would speak Cantonese to him & he would speak Mandarin to me……..bliss!

It takes an amazing mix of divers with a love of the ocean to traverse across continents to get to Bali and embark on a glorious 10 days of diving. The idea of crossing treacherous seas to dive pristine sites usually out of reach to common folks, MV Ombak Biru or known as Komodo Dancer, was built to be like a Dutch Schooner. Sailing off Tanjung Benoa Port in Bali with her crew of 16, the same number of divers from Switzerland, Austria, Russia, Canada, USA, China & Malaysia went aboard to experience 5 star diving.

Our Cruise Director, Lea Jorg, the head of dive operations on board, prepared us with a comprehensive dive briefing detailing the zones where we were to assemble, gear up & stow away our personal dive gear after each dive. With the aid of a very experienced team of Divemasters & boat crew, dive sites were plotted with near accuracy, giving divers concise plans to move along even if the snail-paced photographers like me lose sight of the group. The sites map were drawn daily by Gedeh, a local DM with 6 years of experience onboard Komodo Dancer. His knowledge of the dive sites astounded me when the creatures & critters mentioned during dive briefing were actually seen on each of the dives at almost any turn of the corner!

Expecting something spectacular in the midst of a waning gibbous (transition of a full moon to half moon), our maiden dive was done at Padang Bai, East Bali, under the jetty lined with annoyed anglers sending out invisible daggers at us as we descended with our GoPros, Nauticams, wondercams & whatnots. Being told that it was a muck dive, a few divers who were kitted with macro lenses were surprised to see prolific growth on the structural pillars of the jetty, teeming with sponges, soft corals, tunicates & Gorgonian seafans. The colours that greeted us was such a sight to behold, left me in awe as I scanned every centimetre of the encrusted walls for nudibranchs & invertebrates. Gedeh hijacked us to show us a huge Lacy Rhinopias that he had found, a lifer to many who hadn’t seen the clumsy-looking brightly coloured weedy specie of scorpionfish before. Swirling schools of Fusiliers, suspended Sweetlips & basking devilfish on the sand made the jetty somewhat of an exciting fish underpass for divers! The hazard is, of course, getting hooked by any of the anglers above, which one of the Canadians discovered when she felt the hook tug on her ponytail!

We redescended after a hot breakfast served ala carte when we couldn’t get enough of this peculiar marine refuge equipped with glass domes on our ports to get our fill. The Captain sailed as soon as everyone returned to a spread of tropical fruits & Indonesian buffet lunch!

Get Flock here.

A view that leaves you speechless.

The elderly lady with the baby.

Back-breaking labour, pulling chaff to prepare the ground for winter before planting again.

A panoramic view of the stream in Daocheng.

A scruffy boy I met there.

A sun-kissed toddler I’ve had the privilege of giving treats to.

Travelling further inward into the country, I caught sight of another group of farmers separating wheat grains using a blower, still manual work of hoisting the basket & pouring the contents into the wind, it was a fascinating experience for me. Learning how hard it is to get so little grain and yet this is all they have got.

Wrapped my head in Buff & with my Cocoons sunglasses and hood, I approached the flying chaff onward to give you an insight of this hard labour.

Yading Nature Park, Sichuan, China – I almost passed out getting this picture. Subzero temperatures, sitting on frosted ground waiting for clouds to clear.

Having zero tolerance for the cold prompted me to look for different jackets & baselayers available for all my outdoor pursuits. Not sure if it’s owing to the lack of hair on my body or my internal heating system/metabolic rate is virtually not working or I may just be wearing clothes with poor insulation. My trip to China allowed me to truly rate each jacket’s warmth & insulation. Let’s just take the last reason for me to shop some more.

I have a Max Cocos insulated micro fibre winter coat for city trips to help me withstand the cold in winter countries when I have to attend meetings but I can’t use the same delicate jacket for outdoor adventure. I remember when I had to cover fam trips in all kinds of expedition around the country where I would tear a pair of pants or two every trip. It was quite a costly affair & this is in the tropics. What about zero degrees or sub zero terrain? I didn’t understand what ‘technical jacket’ was all about until I learnt the technology behind it.

My favourite brand is of course, Animal from UK. They have sizes that fit my long arms & legs perfectly. At 175cm, I tower over most Malaysian men & that’s without heels. I fell in love with the turquoise colour of this jacket & having a waterproof rating of 10,000mm & MVP of 15,000g, this jacket was perfect for times when I have to brave the rain or chilly wind on the dive boat ride back to shore.

Animal Amaya Jacket

This 3 layer technical fabric is designed to keep water & wind out while venting away excess body heat.

Technical specifications:- 

• Anitex Technical Fabric
• Textured Nylon 3 Layer Fabric With DWR
• Waterproof Rating of 10,000; MVP 15,000
• Taped Seams
• Waterproof Zippers
• Underarm Ventilation
• Grown On Hood
• Adjustable Hem And Hood
• Adjustable Cuffs
• Reflective Logo

Let’s examine this MVP rating. MVP is moisture vapour permeability. It tells you how much moisture can vaporise through the fabric per m2 per 24 hours. Which means, even if the fabric is waterproof from the outside, it allows sweat to permeate through the fabric without leaving you soaking wet. The waterproofing rating involves testing using a number of different testing protocols but most involve the equivalent of placing a 1” x 1” square tube over the fabric and determining how high (in millimeters) a column of water you can suspend over it before it starts to leak. So when I read that the Animal Amaya jacket has 10,000mm WP, I knew I had to have it.

Then came the Trespass Balbi. Trespass is another UK brand (I love their size 12) that is available online through their website. Being dark grey, I could use it for birding! So I got it in time for my trip to China.

Trespass Balbi Jacket

Technical specifications:- 

• Shell – 3 Layer Fabric
• Adjustable Grown On Hood
• 3 Zip Pockets with Water Resistant Zips
• Water Resistant Zip at Centre Front Opening
• Hem Drawcord with Side Adjustment
• Form Cut Rubber Cuff Tab
• Shell: 100% Polyester/ TPU
• Membrane/ 100% Polyester
• Waterproof 10,000mm
• Breathable 3000g/m2/24hrs
• Windproof
• Taped Seams

Though I loved this jacket, upon the 3rd day of use, the inside started to peel away at the waterproofed seams. Since it’s still new, I am going to ask for an exchange. Coupled with the Trespass Wendy jacket as a midlayer, it provided me with enough warmth but due to a switch of bags for the journey, I didn’t get to wear this in Yading & wore the less effective Karrimor 3in1 parka instead. Naturally, I froze & almost passed out.

Leong took a picture of me taking a picture of something! In my Trespass Balbi jacket.

Standing atop a pile of earth at the edge of the ravine, we were in Yunnan, China. I was covered in my Buff balaclava & was wearing Animal Ski Pants!

Trespass Wendy jacket – the soft shell fleece midlayer I wore in China. 

Lafuma LD Donegal CLIMACTIVE® Jacket i

This is one of my favourite all-year round jacket. The lightest of them all, this pink jacket packs a hood in the collar & it’s great to ward off the rain on your photo walkabouts. I often wear it when I have my dinner outdoors at Chinese restaurants to repel wind. Did I mention that I have no tolerance to cold? As soon as the temperature dips to 24? or less, I will start to feel uncomfortable.

Technical specifications:-

• 100% POLYESTER
• 3 in 1 protective jacket with removable fleece
• Structured Twill-effect fabric
• Attached hood which stows inside collar
• 1 zippered chest pocket with invisible zip
• 2 zippered hand warmer pockets
• Adjustable hem with elasticated drawcord and toggles
• Velcro tab adjustment at wrist.
• 2 zippered hand warmer pockets.
• Seam sealed.

This Lafuma jacket can be found at Lafuma Bangsar. I believe there are men’s versions as well & certainly not pink in colour. ?

My fascination with pink has to do with being female. I can be a typical female when it comes to colour choices but for practicality sake, no one would want to steal ‘pink.’ This is my second pink jacket, the first being the Animal Kapelle Ski jacket.

The Animal Kapelle is a soft shell fleeced jacket that works great in the cinema! I haven’t actually brought this on my expeditions yet to test the warmth rating & I should do so.

Technical specifications:-

• Anitex Technical Fabric
• Softshell Fabric With DWR
• Grown On Adjustable Hood
• Mesh Lined Pockets For Extra Venting
• Cuff Adjusters
• Inverted Zips And External Taping Detail
• One Handed Adjusters At Hem
• Waterproof: 8000mm
• MVP: 10,000g/m2/24hr

My latest haulage is the Trespass JADA Women’s Waterproof Jacket. Similar to the Animal Amaya, the JADA jacket is the ultimate outdoor piece of kit. The Tres-Tex membrane is made with 3 layers – outer shell, membrane and inner shell- which are laminated together. High performance but lightweight, the thing I like about this jacket apart from its high visibility is the detachable hood. The highest waterproof-rated material at 15,000mm & I would really like to put it to a test in the harsh conditions of some snowy mountainous region somewhere or the jungle! I wanted to a more neutral colour but it only comes in Pink, Black or Turquoise which I already have. I never liked black. My Jada arrived in the mail yesterday!

Technical specifications:-

• Shell – 3 Layer Fabric
• Ventilation Zips
• Adjustable Zip Off Hood
• 3 Water Repellent Zip Pockets
• 1 Sleeve Zip Pocket
• Hem Drawcord with Side Adjuster
• Flat Cuff with Velcro Tab
• Back Tail
• Waterproof 15,000mm
• Breathable 8000mvp
• Windproof
• Taped Seams

All these jackets above are not padded with additional insulation. I thought it should work with base & midlayers & it did plus you can also use it on its own in the tropics to repel rain. Should I come across another highly rated jacket again, I will post it up here but chances are, it would be pink again.

Donned in my Karrimor Parka, which could only help me withstand down to 7?C. I was freezing throughout until I got my to my main luggage & changed back to my Balbi & Wendy.

Hit by an earthquake measuring 5.8 on the Richter Scale, Benzilan in Yunnan, China had temporary make-shift tents as accommodation for the people which lined the street outside our hotel. We got there at night & it was the start of a series of cold nights thereafter. And the hotel doesn’t have any lifts! I felt sorry for the guys who brought unbreakable chunky luggages. Walking up the stairs with such load is enough to bring on back pain. My room that I shared with Miss Lai was on the first floor, not that bad considering that I had brought a convertible Eminent trolley bag which I hauled up like a backpack.

My camera backpack, the Lowepro Photo Sport 200AW was filled with 80% essentials (survival equipment) & 20% photographic gear. On the first 2 days, people on the trip got a little surprised as to why I had a relatively big pack but only carried a Samsung NX200 wherever I went. I began to whip out things…….Lifestraw……Lifeventure Shelter 2 Bothy Bag……Gerber multitool…….Sealskinz gloves…..survival kit…….Fenix PD32 light…hiking pole…..travel pillow….thermal blanket……spork…….power bars…..soup packs……purifying tabs……Platypus drinking bag……..alcohol wipes……first aid kit…..Garmin 76CSX…..batteries….. I explained to them that survival was my priority when going out into the wilderness for my adventures. Photos are secondary.

Nice bag, no?

If I was going to travel for an indefinite period through the cold, mountainous region, I wasn’t going to leave my safety to chance or the tour guide. If we had gotten stranded for whatever reason, at least we would have purified & filtered water to drink. I’ve never been to China before & didn’t know what to expect except that the people look very similar to me.

Angela posing.

Sandwiched between the demure Angela & the excitable Leong, their antics drove me to the toilet. I have never laughed this much, all 12 days mind you, at two contrasting individuals trying to take pictures & get along. Leong’s model-opportunisticism, both as the photographer & the one being photographed, was worthy of commend. He took very flattering shots of Angela but Angela felt that he did better with aunties & housewives making them look like stars. So the hammering begun. Leong was untameable. He went after cows, goats, yaks, whatever that moved……even other tourists, to get his portraits. He even managed to herd a bull back across the bridge over a torrential river! In witnessing such charismatic flaunts, I decided to document him. I don’t remember much about Benzilan or the journey thereafter except that I was always in stitches as the taunts & threats were continually thrown at Leong by Angela, should he not succeed at taking flattering shots of her again. Leong took his task seriously & clicked furiously to get that right shot afterwards!

Feeling the pressure…..Leong has to perform, or else…..

Leong succeeded to ask Alex to photograph him. Alex is a hotshot photographer!

He got Uncle Nigel to take a shot of him too! How does he do it???

He would make sounds through the lens hood….

And the only time we stopped laughing was when he was deep in slumber…..

I took him taking me.

Benzilan was beautiful but I can only remember how much those two amigos made me laugh.

Walking across the suspended bridge.

Taken at Madame Tussauds, Wien, Austria.

Taken at Madame Tussauds, Wien, Austria.

But I’ve only just met you! Or your towering wax figure Tussauds made out of you. You looked so weathered, stood so tall, yet the battles you fought for the people against apartheid and poverty will make us all stand proud with you for eternity. God bless your soul and may you receive the many promised crowns in heaven!!! Thank you for the gift of yourself, Mr. Mandela!

Our first stop was at ErHai Fishing Village, a lake that the Chinese term as the sea for the never-ending sight of the horizon. Not getting much sleep from the night before when we arrived at The Ancient City of Dali (Dali Gusheng), I woke up to a temperatures too low for my liking. A cotton-loving girl donned in Uniqlo HeatTech, fleece & technical jacket is hardly anything to marvel at. I saved my waterproof ski pants for the coldest sector of my journey…….Yading, in Sichuan near the Himalayas.

At dawn, these boats are parked by the lakeside.

Boats parked.

Fisherfolks row out to haul in the catch.

Wheat clusters left by the road.

Mode of transport for the village folks.

Taking out the vermicelli noodles at the factory.

Noodles hanging out to dry.

Garbed in balaclava, beanie & hooded jacket.

This was our first stop on our long & arduous journey to Yading Nature Reserve. On the bus, there were 12 other photographers & an MPV with 6 people plus the driver. Travelling 350km upon arrival in the evening was anything but nice. The fun only began on the 3rd day when I was accosted by Leong Taoping (Long Bean Army as I called him) and the demure but bean-bashing, Angela.

I managed to import ALL of my client’s mail from Mail.app to Outlook 2011 flawlessly WITHOUT too much trouble. If you are a Mac user who has decided to use Outlook instead of the built-in proprietary Mail. Follow the steps below as Apple has nestled folders within .mbox & your mail has a ~.elmx (proprietary) extension rather than .mbox (UNIX mail format). Whatever you naysayers say about Outlook, you have either never used the advance features nor have you been on Windows long enough to know how it handles email just the way we like it so I would ignore anyone who tries to discourage you from getting onto Outlook. Microsoft may ‘dysfunctional’ in their OS but they have full-featured softwares like Project, Publisher & Outlook that some people deem ireplicable so let’s get on with the problem.
 
Apple has hidden the Library folder in Lion & Mountain Lion OSX to prevent accidental access by newbies so you need to access it in Finder.
 

1. Download the emlx converter to mbox app here. Run the app.
2. Go to Finder, in the tab under Go, press ALT/Option to show Library folder, select it & go to Mail folder.
3. Copy any ~.mbox files to a folder on your Desktop. You don’t want to mess with the original file.
4. Go to folder on your Desktop, click on INBOX.mbox, select your folder till it opens to show folders titled 2, 3, 4…..etc.
5. Click on each of these folders till it shows files with .emlx.
6. Select ALL & drag them to the EMLXConverter but don’t start the conversion yet.
7. Do this with each of the 2, 3, 4, 5 titled folders & add to the converter so that it would convert & place them into Outlook as one folder.
8. Click Convert.
9. In Outlook, select Import & choose ‘Contacts & messages from a text file’
10. Select ‘Import messages from an MBOX-format text file.’ Choose your converted file & you will have a folder entitled, ‘Mbox’ in your Outlook. Click on the folder, select all the messages & drag them to ‘Inbox.’
11. Do the same from item No. 4 onwards for your SENT.mbox to be converted & imported into Outlook.

 
I spent hours looking for a solution using different search criteria until I found a conversation thread in a Microsoft Community & it was Garret Mickelson who posted it. I reckon I didn’t need to register as I wouldn’t be communicating in a Windows forum since I switched OS 6 years ago. Meanwhile, I’ve converted all my mail from my Entourage app to Outlook using the inbuilt import feature. Took about half an hour for I have many mailboxes that I manage. I hope this would help solve all your frustration & let you use your favourite app after becoming a Mac user!

I got a chance to take my Galaxy Note underwater (before acquiring the Sony Xperia Z1) & I tested the Dicapac DCP-WP-C2 casing that allowed me to operate the touchscreen whilst in the water. My favourite online camera shop, Shashinki, sells it for only RM80 & delivered right to your doorstep! There’s a selection of Green, White, Blue, Yellow & Pink casing & it’s no brainer which one I picked! So I decided to take it skin-diving with me!

I snorkelled to where the reefs sloped to about 8 metres deep & all the while, I can operated the touchscreen through the thick bubble atmosphere the casing created when I locked the zip-lock top. The air pocket created space between the screen & the casing. On the surface, I could still touch the ”˜shutter button’ on the screen but once I nose-dived down to 8 metres depth, the pressure flattened the air space & I couldn’t ”˜touch’ the screen again. The casing is rated to 10 metres, which to most users, is more than enough waterproofing. Not a problem as I could turn it to video & take screenshots later. Little did I know that I had filmed the video upside down because I was inverted! Here are some shots taken with the smartphone in the Dicapac casing in the water below the surface & at 8 metres.

Just adjusted the levels of the picture, no other edits.

Birds eye view from below the surface.

The house reef in Tenggol!

See my fins beneath the surface?

At the drop-off, I managed to take a picture….

Yours truly staring at the phone…..

With the supplied lanyard, I never have to worry about misplacing my phone on the boat & if you drop it in the sea, it floats!

P.S. – Also good for situations where you run the risk of getting sprayed by water cannons……

Check out their range of Dicapac casings that fit your smartphone!

Before the season of diving ended I was plagued by a childhood injury & dislocated my hip again. Having the Low family help me in & out of the water during their certification trip was somewhat embarrassing but when I was water-bound, I was weightless/painless & free. Grimacing as soon as I leave the ocean, I spent Raya being bedridden till I could access my chiropractor after his holidays to have my hip adjusted into place. While horizontal, I got acquainted with Chinese serial dramas again & was given the desire to see China. Lo & behold, Soo offered me to take over her trip & when God healed me during a specific altar call where He had given me a vision 4 days prior at the start of the Pentecostal World Conference & just after a lady gave me a book entitled, ”˜The Church in China,’ I was convinced that God was indeed, sending me to China.

I visited my reefs & said hello to the resident Risbecia tryoni while the inquisitive Sea Perch decided to have its picture taken as well. Doing several dive trips before the season ended gave me an opportunity to accustom myself with the Olympus E-PM1 & the housing.

In the month of Ramadhan, I witnessed the Tourism Minister together with Secretary General of Tourism giving red packets to under-privileged children at a buka puasa dinner hosted by the Ministry of Tourism. I caught up with fellow journalists from travel mags & Julini, my ex-colleague from Concorde Hotel.

In the passed 2 months or so, I couldn’t bring myself to detail all that’s happened because life is just too fast paced & I had tons of writing to do for my clients. From 17-pages reports to drafting letters to minutes of meetings, all of which overworked my braincells & took away my creativity for awhile. I was even getting upset over events that had transpired in a meeting that I was minuting so nothing from me could be comprehensible in the last 2 months.

Just then, Sony Mobile selected my picture for the launching of Xperia Z1 in Malaysia & the picture of the Twin Towers was taken with the phone that they have presented me with.

Soon after, I participated in another event & another picture was selected. Yes, I got busy with the 20 megapixel camera on the Z1 instead.

I needed time out & China was a major trip traversing across mountainous terrains spanning over 1000km on the way to Yading in what I deem as freezing temperatures. I guess I’m made for the tropics. Will tell you about my trip in between my travels as soon as I appease Rufus because I’d been away too often & too long…..

You spot an unidentifiable floating/flirting object, crawling, creeping, undulating or it might even be getting ready to cast its next generation into the ”˜air’ (atmosphere, depending on whether you should terrestrial or marine life) & the first response is to whip out your camera and flash your shutter planes at it. You take a breath & resume your most comfortable position to record the motion instead. Minute by minute, your aching arms tell you that your footage is enough but your bug/slug/mollusc decides to demonstrate some kungfu or calisthenics to stun its prey and you finally get footage worthy of National Geographic’s mention.

You get to your computer & you want to edit it to include your signature & insert music to complement the excitement but you find that you must convert it to MOV or MPEG before you can even edit it. And you have many files to edit. Your free converter only converts one file at a time. For a 500MB video, it takes almost 20 minutes & not all converters can give you a high definition output or give you the controls to increase the volume nitrate or output to any format to be readable by your iPhone/iPad/Android as showpieces. Predicament like this can be solved with having a batch HD video converter like the WinX HD Video Converter Deluxe (for Windows) & WinX HD Video Converter for Mac to convert all your HD videos. Leave it running in the background & before you know it, all your videos are converted!

Here are the reasons why you should get the WinX HD Video Converter for Mac (or Windows):-

Support Multi-track HD and Blu-ray Video

The first Mac HD video converter that supports converting Multi-track HD video BDAV, M2TS, MKV, AVCHD, TrueHD, MTS, MPEG-TS Audio/Video. E.g. it lets you convert Multi-track MKV to MP4, M2TS to MKV, Blu-ray M2TS to MKV, which is a definitely useful feature when making a digital copy to backup your Blu-ray videos.

Convert Videos from HD-Camcorder
Convert AVCHD, MOD, TOD and MTS videos recorded by HD camcorders, such as Panasonic, Canon, Sony, JVC to AVI, MPEG, MP4, FLV, JVC and other most popular video formats, so that you can play the videos on portable devices or edit the video in iMovie.

Convert Videos to Portable Devices
It can convert all HD and regular videos, such as AVCHD, MKV, MTS, M2TS, MPEG-4, AVI, WMV, FLV, MP4, to other formats for playback on most popular portable devices like iPod, iPad ( iPad 2/iPad 3), iPhone (iPhone 4/4S/5), Apple TV, Xbox, Xbox360, PSP, PS3, etc. So you can watch them without assistance of third-party codecs.

Create VOB Files on Mac for DVD Burning
It can also create VOB files (one of default DVD video formats) from the videos recorded by HD camcorders, downloaded from online video sharing sites, or made by your own, and then you can burn the VOB video to DVD Disc by your DVD authoring software. It offers an all-round solution to make backup copies of your videos.

Youtube Video Downloader and Converter
With a built-in website video downloader, it is also a video tool for online content downloading to help you extract videos from millions video sharing site like Youtube, Vimeo, Google, Facebook, Megavideo, etc. Then you can convert all downloaded video directly.

Amazing Output Video Audio Quality
High Quality Engine is built in this HD video converter to manage the output image quality. With advanced De-interlace Accelerator, it delivers more original output video, compared with similar Mac HD video converter. Besides, you can balance the video/audio quality and file size by adjusting the bitrate resolution parameters.

To be entered in the giveaway, please drop me a comment & tell me the model of your camera that you shoot with & the current converter you are using & include a shout out ”˜MERDEKA!’ at the end of your comment. (Merdeka is a Malay word for independence, shouted by our Prime Minister on 31 August 1957 when we gained independence from the British). Please include your email address & state whether you need a Windows or Mac version. And thank you for sailing by Pummkin’s Pitch!

Giveaway is sponsored by the good people at Digiarty.com! For more information, please visit www.winxdvd.com.

There are not enough hours in a day for me & every minute is precious when I’m doing the things I love to do most. When Wolfgang visited, we spent a week exploring the jungles of Malaysia equipped with tents, poles, four-legged companions & survival kits. We learnt that even a simple tent can bear quite an effect on your sleep if the roof is not vented & the fly-sheet is not totally waterproof. The tropical rainforest usually lives up to its name when you are least prepared and with Rufus & Spice coming along, there’s no option to stay in a resort. I have no problem with that & it’s so nice to see Rufus getting all protective of his space & master (or slave aka me).

Rufus having a snooze while I drove.

Hearing the nocturnal insects & the quaak-quaak frogs at night made me feel like I was on a different planet. There was no ”˜ribbik’ nor the ”˜oowooongg’ noises from the bullfrogs but a very distinct & loud ”˜QUAAK!’ which is then answered by their fellow species somewhere else. It was an interesting night. Rufus was adapting to all these foreign noises too. Aziz had to alternate between his tent & the 4WD because Spice kept him awake frequently with the need to answer nature’s call. He decided to sleep in the car so as not to wake Wolfgang.

Rufus taking a cool dip with me!

The Milky Way!

We spent nights shooting the Milky Way & visited Lawrence & Ina in Gua Musang in Kelantan. After that, we headed to Grik & spent a night at Belum. There, I was visited by a wild boar while I was in the tent. We drove to Taiping for some sight-seeing before returning to KL for a dive trip to Aur & Tenggol. In between, I caught up with my ex-boss, Dato’ Loy & ex-colleagues to celebrate his birthday & facilitate sessions for FInancial Psychology’s workshops.

Ex boss & colleagues.

Pulau Dayang, off Pulau Aur.

Sandwiched in between a colour-coded (coincidence) dressing for the day, Bose & Soo.

I am constantly reminded that I have to stop & smell the roses each time work gets too hectic or when the assignment gets the better of me. I found one in such splendour that smelling it alone would not justice to it. It put a smile to my face that God flutters the heart of His children when His flora flourishes! Here’s to more discoveries in the wild!

With the Hari Raya celebrations coming up, have you thought of treating yourself to a new gadget? All you need to do is sign up with a Celcom First Data mPro Plus plan at RM88/month (24-month contract).

Now, Celcom is giving you an exclusive Raya deal you just can’t miss. From 11 July ”“ 15 September 2013, you can get a brand new iPhone 5 from just RM1,488!

Here’s what you get with the Celcom First Data mPro Plus plan:-

• Low monthly commitment fee of only RM88/month
• Special price on the iPhone 5 at only RM1,488 (Retail price is RM2,199)
• 5GB data volume monthly
• FREE 60 mins & 60 SMS (Additional usage: 15 sen/min/SMS)

What better way to start your Raya celebrations than with an exciting new gadget to capture the mood of the festivity when you ”˜balik kampung!’ Staying connected with your loved ones is just a button away & don’t forget to post your rendang tok, ketupat, dodol conquests to share with your network of friends online! With the widest coverage on the fastest network in Malaysia, Celcom makes sure you won’t have to miss a tweet, forego an Instagram or fast Facebook!

Visit any Blue Cube or Celcom Xclusive to enjoy this privilege today! For more information, you can find it online here.

The thought put into this place to complement Chef Justin Wong’s culinary creations was a combination of his preference for offering top class whipped delights in a cosy ambience replicating a homey feel when one sinks their teeth into his delectable desserts! He spent a great deal of time in Australia studying culinary arts before continuing as a chef in their shores. After several years of learning the trade, he returned to supervise the church’s ”˜cafeteria ministry’ before deciding on opening his own tea house. Assisted by his mother, Nancy Wong, elder brother, Nigel & Auntie Helen, they embarked on a journey of keeping their hoards of foodie friends sated. With each dish served, one covets the next till just about every tooth is satisfied.

Scones with strawberries & cream!

Starting the lunch course with Beef Casserole, it was followed by the creamiest of Creme Brulee & their signature Pandan Panna Cota. Staying a bit longer, the call of Scones was too powerful to ignore & we called upon Chef Justin to give us some of his classic concocted pleasures!

Panoramic view from inside.

Treats like these makes you want to have tea all day!

At Miss Elie Tea House, corners are created for you. Perfect if you are alone or when you need some privacy in this extra homey tea house. Even the washroom is decorated to make you feel like visiting twice.

Everything is made with love!

My favourite Créme Brulée……

Unless you live in Taman Melawati, don’t trust your instincts to get you there. You need a GPS & Waze app preferably. They are located at 7 Jalan H3, Taman Melawati, Selangor, Malaysia & using Waze, by searching for Miss Ellie Teahouse using Foursquare connection. The GPS coordinates are GPS: N 03° 13.658’ E 101° 44.675’. Call them if your GPS fails – +603-41620113 or +6012-2055171.

They are found on Facebook at http://bit.ly/MissEllieTH. Like them for new stuff on the menu!

Saving the best for last, no race is ever complete without experiencing the festivity of Borneo Bird Festival & the grandeur of the hospitality of Sabahans (people of Sabah) with the organisers & Sabah Tourism. After the 6 hour bus journey from Mount Kinabalu, we checked into Sepilok Jungle Resort, another wildlife haven near Sepilok Rainforest Discovery Centre where we spent 2 nights doing night walks & stargazing. The International Borneo Bird Race 2013 is truly the first of its kind, beginning in the Brunei, ascending to Kinabalu Park & descending to Sepilok lowland forest.

Birdwatching for some, may be a pastime but for those who pursue the understanding of their behaviour, flight pattern, habitat & nesting activities go far beyond watching. Birders don’t just hang a pair of binoculars around the neck, they now tote big cameras, bazooka lenses & rock-steady tripods to document them. Even then, there are distinctions in bird photographers, one who take pictures for the sake of getting beautiful pictures & the other who go the extra mile to remember the names, geographical distribution, migration routes & their unique bird characteristics. Pictures & videos are used to spread awareness & to create the love of birds for the vibrant display of feathers, courtship & nesting. The Borneo Bird Race attracted 8 teams of likeminded individuals from 7 countries, 3 members in each & all could rattle out names of birds like they lived in their backyard. Rightly so, when they make birding their profession!

Setting out the next morning, the 7th day of the race, birders reached the Sepilok Rainforest Discovery Centre & proceeded to explore. The pristine jungle here is well mapped out, with marked trails & visible signboards. Some trails have benches or logs for you to sit & rest which makes birding very leisurely here despite the hills you have to walk to get to them.

On the way to these trails, birds hop from tree to tree in such a flight fashion that it gives a symphony to a bird wave! The participants were in for a treat! Ticking off species in their wanted list as they add on to their competition entry. And on the 8th day of intense racing, one team went home with the Champion’s Trophy. During the opening ceremony of the Borneo Bird Festival 2013 on the 7 June which was opened by the Minister of Culture, Arts & Tourism of Sabah, Datuk Masidi Manjun, Team Philippines, comprising of Adrian Constantino, Mark Jason Villa & Ivan Carenas took home a title to do their country proud as they had come this far to race against the 6 other nations in a relations-fostering event to promote travel-for-birding within the region of Asian birding nations. Team Thailand wasn’t too far behind with their list of birds, taking the 2nd Prize & Team Singapore came in 3rd, with the advent leadership of Kim Seng, who had been entering bird races since 1992! What a great interest that becomes a lifelong adventure!

Revelling the 9th day of the adventure, participants could finally share information after the race as the took to the trails together. Team Taiwan was birding with Team Philippines as from the start, biologist Wayne Hsu found something in common with Mark, a professional bird guide, in the love of bird-findings & being in the same age group. It was a day of trying for the Bornean Bristlehead, an endemic species which Team Japan was most eager trekking the jungles for as they had even foregone their rest day on the 10th day to make it back to Sepilok Forest to spot the elusive wonder. And they were rewarded!

In the gaps between, we attended a talk by Team Gujarat’s biologist, Dr. Bharat Jethva, whom I’ve had the pleasure of birding with in two consecutive years of birdwatchers’ conference in Gujarat, India. Speakers like Andy Boyce, whom we had bumped into in Kinabalu Park, was showing his findings in video clips of nesting behaviour, giving us a great insight to the life of these tree-dwellers.

Ending the adventure on the 10th day was the beginning of another as the nations added one another on their social media profile on Facebook. The flurry of pictures & updates denoting their excitement of their 10-day encounters flooded our timeline & with appropriate responses, bridged the distance even further.

The dinners hosted by the Sandakan Town Council & Sabah Tourism cemented relationships & chiselled away the last bits of ice in the participants as they cheered their comrades on in a bid to get the Proboscis Monkey stuffed toy by impersonating an animal seen on the journey. Laughter permeated the dinner, stopping even the waiters who stood to laugh along with us. The jovial sporting mode that they wore transcended barriers of language, culture & nation. An event that stands uniquely Borneo & with a promise of a bigger & better installation next year with the possible inclusion of Sarawak & Kalimantan, Indonesia. You want to make yourself available for it even if it takes 15 days for you win not only the race but a camaraderie that will win you friends for life.

The flight was a short 35 minutes to Kota Kinabalu where we were transported to Kundasang shortly after immigration clearance. We met Tengku Adlin, Chairman of Sabah Tourism Board, when Sabah Tourism hosted the welcome dinner in the cool mountain inn. Vegetation changes were prominent as it spans 4 climate zones. As we ascended every 100 metres, we could even see stars at eye level! The following morning began with a wake up call at 4am for a headstart towards Timpohon Gate by 5:30am. This is where climbers usually begin their ascent up the mountain & we were there for its inhabitants! The birds! And did we see birds! It was also 15 degrees C!!

Indigo Flycatcher

Participants at race!

Roger Rajah pointed out to me a particular fern (pteridophytes) whose spores are used as the dusting powder for fingerprints in forensics! How awesome is that? There are 600+ species of ferns here & it would not be surprising if scientists find other miracle uses for them. Taking a stroll down the 4km road to the park’s headquarters, there were beautiful plants popping up in the most unusual of places. Apart from finding several swift nests on ledges of a rock cliff, we found a group of foreigners marvelling at a Bulbophyllum orchid by a tree on the side of the road!

The Borneo Bird Race is not just about the race but a reason to combine expertise from each of the 7 nations participating to document the most number of bird species. It is a melting pot of minds to find the flamboyant & the elusives of Borneo’s avian life, some endemics, while promoting travel within Asia. Known as one of the most hospitable nations, Sabah has a great expanse of natural resources to marvel at, with the Minister citing to keep 65% of the state to be maintained as forest reserve. What a fine example to set for the country! And if these sightings of wild & rare orchids, magnificent birds, superb bugs & awesome mammals are anything to go by, Sabah will be one big wild secret that’s difficult to keep!

Bornean Whistler, Pale Faced Bulbul, Black & White Flycatcher(?), Mountain Imperial Pigeon.

Spores for forensics.

Keeping quiet was imperative although at times I felt like exploding with delight when I see a bird I hadn’t seen before. The teams were concentrating hard to spot the skittish birds & identifying them through Quentin Phillips’ guide book or Susan Myers’. Most of these birds are lifers to them (also to me) & some of them even went into the trails. There were times when there were no birds at all & that’s when we turn to other flora & fauna. What kept the teams apart during the race (they can’t discuss birds), they made it up during bus rides & pit stops! After breaking for lunch, the entourage embarked on a 6 hour road journey through a picturesque inland to Sepilok in Sandakan. Along the way, we even stopped to see the Bornean Falconet! We can stop a bus for a bird!

What’s camaraderie if Adjudicators like Alim here, doesn’t take a break to fool around by hijacking the gas tank of a mountain porter??? Here, he poses with a backpack belonging to one of his porter friends who were later seen lugging it up Timpohon Gate!

The remarkable Stewards were always on hand to give advice, tips & suggestions on how to spot the birds & rightly so, a few of them have made the Borneo 400 Club! A club that recognises a record of over 400 species sighted!

Don’t miss my next post on Sepilok Forest as I take a weekend break to cover yet another bird race in Fraser’s Hill!

As I was kitting up for my Survivalist Sack, I came upon this Female Urination Device called P Ez. It seems to be the solution to all my on-the-go urgency problems so I ordered one & two months later it arrived. Perfect for my 10-day expedition in Borneo. Being somewhat excited at the thought that I’d finally be standing up to pee, a flurry of thoughts came to my mind. What if I pee all over myself? What if I made a mess of my bathroom? What if it DOESN’T WORK??? I guess these are the angst of one who’s finally getting a feel of what being a boy is all about. As a child, I used to aspire to be a boy. Now don’t ask me why, perhaps it was due to the clothes my mom made me wear as a toddler or the fact that I loved playing with gadgets that don’t go well with my sisters or just being plain curious about the opposite sex. Either way, I wanted an appendage. 

So it arrived. I opened the box with glee. I was greeted with a misshaped lilac coloured funnel that I’m supposed to put on my cherry. I examined the rubbery plastic thing for awhile & proceeded to enact a ”˜travel situation’ where my back has a camera backpack, me wearing pants & this bionic cuckoo bird being whipped out from my waistpack. Having to figure out which way is ”˜outward’ is easy. Just look at how it points & you will know how to position it to your body. 

The moment of truth came. I’ve never had to touch any of my body parts when answering nature’s call & this is a rather absurd act as we girls have never thought about putting our hands onto our cherries to direct the shower of our power. So okay, here goes…….the funnel is pointing to the bowl & I’m ready to go…….the initial spout was fine when I got the aim right but as soon as it started to trickle, it trickled everywhere!!! How do you men deal with sprinkling when you’re tinkling??? Now don’t you ever leave the washroom WITHOUT washing your hands & appendage because now I know what you are down to. By the time I finished, my toilet bowl rim was splattered with pee & though I felt triumphant having DONE it like a boy, I had to clean my toilet bowl, the floors & also disinfect the area around it! Good thing I had the seat up too! So much effort! I felt I need more practice over this bionic cuckoo if I were to master the use for my Borneo expedition! This kinda explains why boys need a lifetime to become men & even then, can’t get their aim right. 

The instruction says I have to wash the device with warm soapy water & air dry. Having wet wipes & sanitiser ready helps if water is not available. I washed it & put it near the window to dry. This appendage will be handy if I go into the wild & when I have to go. 

The upside is, I now would not need to ”˜hover’ above the toilet bowl when there’s a germ infested toilet seat (or there’s an absence of one) & would be delighted to pee in the jungle without having my bottom pricked by shrubs & twigs! 

The other option is to use TravelJohn Disposable Urinal in situations where you can’t find a lavatory at all. Those who have been there & experienced that would know what a God-sent items these urinal devices are. Get the TravelJohn at Lafuma & P Ez on eBay by searching for ”˜female urination device.’

Ulu Temburong sounds like a faraway place owing to its name of being in the depths of the jungle. And indeed, it is as obscure as a hidden treasure tucked away to be found & marvelled at. Nestled in the midst, is Ulu Ulu Resort, by the banks of Temburong River, a terrain of pebbly rocks smoothen by the rapids. The journey begins in the heart of Bandar Seri Begawan, where we boarded the Flying Coffin (fast ferry speedboat) to weave through a Nipah grove along the muddy banks. This is also a place where big crocodiles sunbathe out in the open. The 45 minutes ride led us to a harbour in Temburong where we took another 40 minutes bus ride to a small jetty to embark on another 15-minute ride upriver. This might cause you to grip the side bars along the longish, narrow motorised boat as it tilts & turns. Each boat seats 5 persons, with our plastic bag-wrapped belongings, cruising became the adventure of averting splashes & collision with overhanging branches that sometimes, rests a Kingfisher.

Surprises at every turn, sightings of perched Oriental Darters, Swifts & the ever elusive Crested Wood Partridge, caused a stir amongst the participants. A flock of 6 partridges flew across the river while our boat was cruising pass, sending all who saw them into squeals of delight. Sightings are rare & to see an entire brood is even rarer. It is no wonder why birders are going deeper into the forests to document birds. Half expecting the legumes to turn into a beanstalk inviting an ogre to descend, the perspective of size is evident in just the roots of this tree. I can’t even be Jack to climb pass the root, let alone cutting down the beanstalk. Not that I was about to cut anything but fantasical things come to mind when you have a vivid imagination.

Landing at the banks of Ulu Ulu Resort, I felt like I had developed sea-legs & swayed as I disembarked. The gigantic trees (Legumes) structured the banks bowled me over with the towering stature. Every growth has its place in this pristine ecosystem. Birds & butterflies abuzz, each going about its own way. Ice cold pandan-infused lemongrass tea with condiment tray of curry puffs & appam welcomed us at the reception. Just as we attended the briefing, a pair of Whiskered Treeswifts began to mate  outside the room on bare tree, sending the birders into a frenzy. The race hasn’t resumed yet as breaks were an imminent part of the game. How can we contain our excitement when we are prominently situated at the heart of Bruneissic Park??

Thick foliage in tall trees meant that bird photography would be very challenging. The birders (race participants) set off to list their sightings armed with one spotting scope, one camera & 3 binoculars per team. Frequent reference to the Birds of Borneo book proved another challenge as the birds were fast & the lighting didn’t help with the colour identification. Most of these nations had never seen so many variety of birds in one place as they had in Borneo & Brunei seemed to be an undiscovered trove! Little is known about the birds in Brunei & the availability of learned/trained guides is even fewer with Roger Rajah (co-organiser of Borneo Bird Race) being the ONLY licensed bird tour guide operating in Brunei. Throughout the Brunei leg, Roger had been instrumental in providing logistic briefings & assistance to the entourage. Together with Tom Chong, a tour guide who works with Ulu Ulu Resort, they were giving us detailed explanations of every place of interest, cultural practices & customs of Bruneians. What a resource Brunei has in incredible people of passionate pursuits!

Horned Spider.

Orb Spider eating cicada.

Flowerpeckers (3 – 5cm only) here are not afraid of humans & would come to a proximity of about 1 metre of you. Seeking a perch that they frequented, I parked myself on the boardwalk & documented hundreds of pictures of these tiny, flighty, cheerful birds. I also learnt that they ate guavas & pomegranates! Videos when I get back.

Yellow Rumped Flowerpecker – male

Yellow Breasted Flowerpecker.

Yellow Rumped Flowerpecker – female.

Being so natural, even spiders abound in the walkway to the rooms. A total of 17 rooms that can accommodate 50 people comfortably, we were the only guests at the resort that day. Bugs, cicadas, strange squirrels & the bizarres of bizarres occur naturally & thrive in this environment. We asked the resort to keep webs in its place to allow city bumpkins like me to document insects for the appreciation of all. It’s not every day that we get to see a Horned Spider or an Orb Spider eating its prey & every encounter is a witness of God’s provision of His goodness to the animal kingdom that He has created. Here’s to the bugs & birds!

Birders off to add species to their list!

At one of the booths, the Wildlife Division has an impressive information of several types of mammals, birds & reptiles. Talking to their officers, I got to know that they have the Slow Loris & Maroon Langurs here. Many of the mammals are found in Borneo & Brunei has a beautiful backdrop when you go to Tasek Merimbun to find them. The race flagged off upon reaching the park office, participants were briefed to stay on trail & each Steward (very experienced bird guiding professionals) assigned to each team, would be marking their finds as they go & if needed, proof of photograph would determine the authenticity of the species. There’s really no grounds for cheating.

Panoramic view of Tasek Merimbun.

Though the forest is a visibly large area, the birds that are in abundance are flighty & sparse. I hardly have any photos to show despite being there for 2 hours. The distraction is really in the landscape. The first leg of the race, progressed with teams getting a glimpse of what the Bornean forest hosts.

Maroon Langur

Dinner hosted by Brunei Tourism where we were taken to a cheerfully local place to eat! We love it!

The vast tropical rainforest-scape in Brunei gives rise to the appreciation & honoring of birds as Brunei has taken the initiative to promote conservation of bird species through the formation of an alliance with Sabah Tourism & Sabah’s most popular bird club, the Borneo Bird Club, led by Cede Prudente & his team of highly experienced bird guides.

Taking the cue of advocating the love of nature by watching birds, talking birds & learning bird behaviour from bird ambassadors from 7 countries, Brunei Tourism under the Ministry of Industry & Primary Resources is recognising the wealth of their natural heritage in the pristine rainforest around the country. Launching the inaugural Borneo Bird Race, Brunei Bird Watching & the Borneo Nature Festival, this event is history in the making as never before had there been such a commemoration of birdwatching in the fauna-rich country of Brunei.

The welcome dinner was lavishly appetising & meeting the Ministry officials themselves who are just as passionate serves to fuel us in the coming days. Our first destination if Tasik Merimbun Heritage Park where the 7 nations set out to find feathers of every kind.

More in the next post as time & internet access allows! (Some group pictures have yet to be sent to us. Please stay tuned!)

Did you get to watch it? Wasn’t that a great documentary about the clean-up at the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park organised by Astro Kasih? Organising a clean-up of the ocean is a monumental task as I recall the number of clean-up projects I’ve been involved with in the past. Check out my introduction about Astro Kasih’s Reef Rescuers here: http://pummkin.net/?p=3675. Oceans get littered with unwanted debris, many become mistaken for food by birds, turtles & other sea life causing premature deaths from choking. A plastic bag can be mistaken as jellyfish, one of turtles’ favourite foods. Apart from being a hazard to sea creatures, plastic bags & other debris an choke reefs by blocking sunlight that facilitates photosynthesis in the symbiotic algae living in the corals.

Really, you should make it a point to catch this documentary to be better informed marine-enthusiast & contribute to a better world. The record-breaking effort will be shown at these times below:

Repeats on Discovery Channel (Astro Ch 551)

Friday 31st May at 1pm

Sunday 2nd June at 5pm

Tuesday 4th June at 7pm

Wednesday 5th June 12am

Wednesday 5th June 1pm

Repeats on Discovery HD World (Astro Ch 571)

Friday 31st May at 1pm

Sunday 2nd June at 5pm

Remember, if you have any ideas or suggestions for the Astro Kasih team, share your thoughts on their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/astrokasihmalaysia.

Congratulations to everyone who is enjoying a new GoPro camera courtesy of Astro Kasih!

Having planned my viewing party for tomorrow’s Premiere of Reef Rescuers on Thursday, 30th May at 7pm, I want my students to know how their activities can impact the environment as it’s a perfect documentary to show new divers how to take up stewardship of the ocean wherever they dive. Debris can choke the reefs and the reef is a home to many species of life with each of them depending on another for survival.

If you can’t get your fellow divers to watch with you, send them an invite through the Reef Rescuers Facebook Events page at https://www.facebook.com/events/320722658059225/. And if you can’t make it tomorrow night, do not fret for there are several repeats as scheduled below:

Repeats on Discovery Channel (Astro Ch 551)

• Friday 31st May at 1pm
• Sunday 2nd June at 5pm
• Tuesday 4th June at 7pm
• Wednesday 5th June 12am
• Wednesday 5th June 1pm

Repeats on Discovery HD World (Astro Ch 571)

• Friday 31st May at 1pm
• Sunday 2nd June at 5pm

Till next time, I’m off to stock up on Pretzels & Nuts for my viewing party at my sister’s place. Enjoy the show tomorrow!

Divers surfacing after a round of cleaning up underwater.

Ever wondered what’s it like to have a little underwater camera that produces megapixels of high definition videos? Beginning on 24 May 2013, you can have a go at the Astro Kasih Reef Rescuers ”˜7 Days of Sharing’ Facebook quiz that runs until 30 May 2013 to get selected for a GoPro camera giveaway & there’s one given away daily! In bringing you the longest underwater clean up, held at the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park off the shores of Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Astro Kasih team organised a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS attempt from 6th ”“ 13th April 2013 ”“ a total of 7 days or 168 hours ”“ the same length of time that the quiz will run! The initiative was started to create greater awareness on marine conservation – with the help of 134 volunteer divers from Malaysia and across the world, working at 14 dives sites around the park, in an epic, non-stop 168-hour, seven-day underwater clean-up mission.

Astro Kasih’s Beautiful Malaysia programme is a volunteer initiative undertaken by Astro employees for the betterment and advancement of the community that we live in. Being one of Astro’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives under its environment pillar its main focus is to raise awareness on preserving the environment with community engagement for environmental activities. You can give your comments & suggestions as they welcome ideas on the Astro Kasih Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/astrokasihmalaysia.

Astro Kasih Beautiful Malaysia includes a coral transplanting project in 2011 at Ribbon Reef in Tun Sakaran Marine Park, Sabah ”“ an effort that achieved certification by the Malaysia Book of Records with 777 corals transplanted. To learn more, just surf over to www.astrokasih.org/beautifulmalaysia. The purpose of Astro Kasih’s initiative is to help the many underprivileged villages and children in Sabah since 2009. Their activities include building and repairing amenities and infrastructure and contributing to the improvement of educational resources for the kids.

Volunteer divers posing with their haul.

You may not have been aware of this record-breaking attempt, hence, a 30-minute television special showing an insider perspective of what it takes to plan and execute such a huge marine conservation project will be aired on Discovery Channel (Astro Ch 551) and Discovery HD World (Astro Ch 571) on Thursday 30th May at 7pm. This is a collaborative effort by Astro with Discovery Network to produce Reef Rescuers. Watching it will not only get you into the charms of the purpose of Astro Kasih but to get you involved in this upcoming premiere of Reef Rescuers, through a special quiz!

In that duration each morning you will be given a chance to a multiple choice question that you must answer by 7pm on the same day. You only need to submit your real name, email address and phone number for authentication purposes should they need to call you about the giveaway. Last but not least, you’re needed to spread the word on the Reef Rescuers programme and quiz through a Facebook status update that says “I just took the Reef Rescuers quiz about the world’s longest underwater clean-up in Sabah, Malaysia. Take the quiz today and get selected for a GoPro! Catch the 30-minute documentary on Discovery Channel (Astro Ch 551) and Discovery HD World (Astro Ch 571), premieres 30 May, Thursday, 7pm.” If your sharing can help educate someone about the ocean’s reefs, imagine how much destruction you can help prevent! Share away & save a reef! After that, check back on the Astro Kasih Facebook page after 10am the next day to know if you’ll be getting your hands on a GoPro camera courtesy of Astro Kasih. It is easier to receive notifications if you click ‘Like’ on the page.

If you are a diver, don’t stop there! Watch it with your fellow divers to see if you get ideas from the Reef Rescuers to safeguard your patch of reef! Connect & invite them on the Reef Rescuers Facebook Events page at https://www.facebook.com/events/320722658059225/. Remember to use the Red Button on your Astro remote control during viewing to get more info, chat on Twitter, see an info feed, or check out their other giveaways.

After you surf over to join the quiz, you can also look around for ways to keep Malaysia green or engage in sustainable living. If you prefer to check out the best places for scuba diving or cool places to travel to, have a look at the conversations on the Discovery Southeast Asia Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/DiscoverySEAsia. There’s always something cool to discover every day!

The Astro Kasih’s team and the divers commemorating their extraordinary achievement with a group photo. Amongst them is my NAUI Course Director, Michael Tong!

Bird Race rules here.

The aesthetics of a bird photo can be entered in a different contest. The Bird Photography Contest details can be found here.

Prizes for Bird Photography Contest!

Prizes for Bird Photography Race!

What do you get when you put a flock of birders, bird photographers & birding enthusiasts in a 130 million year old forest??? An animated pandemonium of ornithologists at the international Borneo Bird Race 2013! We are heading to the heart of Brunei & Sabah for a chance to capture on media, over 680 species of resident & migratory birds, 350 of which are in Sabah! Tell me if that’s not reason enough to be electrified! Birders from Hong Kong, Thailand, Philippines, India, Taiwan, Japan, Brunei & Malaysia will be on the path of flight to congregate for this event.

The pristine forests have been teeming with avian life since the beginning of time & participants will be competing for coveted prizes in the form of cameras & cash from Nikon & various sponsors. Sabah Tourism Board is equally excited to co-host the event at a grand scale as the Bird Race will take off in Ulu Temburong in Brunei before flying over to Kinabalu Park to find montane birds and make the descent to Sepilok, Sandakan for the 5th instalment of the Borneo Bird Festival 2013! Covering coastal regions, freshwater swamps, lowland forests, to the hills and mountain ranges of Sabah, this 10-day expedition will be The Big Year of the East!

I can hardly wait! Preparing my feathers to fly soon!

Will be giving updates on-the-fly from 31 May – 9 June 2013 so follow me on Twitter or subscribe to my FB!

Next, the Bird Photography Contest! Stay tuned!

Seeing some of the pictures on National Geographic website, I’ve been stirred with the thought of exploring the land of The Lord of the Rings by road which would be the best option to see places of interest at my own pace. New Zealand is also known as the land of Kiwis and packing for a birding trip would be easier if I don’t have to worry about transportation that can accommodate all the detours I’d be making with a discovery. Checking my options, I found a car rental site that can provide me with a supersaver compact car for only NZ$25 per day! It’s RM2.458 to NZ$1 which is about US$0.815 only. Being mobile can take me to more places than if I were to stay in one place throughout a 10-day trip.

There are two islands, the North & South islands to explore. Snap Car Rentals offers a range of rented cars from economy to premium depending on the size of your group. They take care of reservations of ferry tickets by Interislander Ferry if you want to cross the islands too. What makes it more convenient is that I’m able to select a pick-up at Auckland airport & choose to return it in another airport! The options are available as shown below in a simple dropdown list form to check the availability of the car of your choice for your dates of travel. While you are there, pick up some hip bags or some cool motorcycle gear in Motormart with a 3-day shipped to you option in New Zealand! And if you fall in love with the country & want to buy yourself a holiday home, check out this mortgage site too.

The notably large number of unique bird species & a mild maritime climate, this land was mostly covered in forest. New Zealand’s varied topography and its sharp mountain peaks caused by the tectonic uplift of land and volcanic eruptions. This undulated landscape makes a perfect picture & one of the places I must visit is Abel Tasman National Park in the South Island. Self-drive is an option I choose to get the birds on my list to photograph!

Brought to you by Snap Car Rentals, New Zealand.

Landscape of Lake Tekapo by Pichugin Dmitry.

Recuperating from a weekend of chasing birds at the Wings of KKB Selangor Bird Race 2013, I came home with the 3rd prize of a trophy, a Deuter Pulse 40 EXP waistpack & a certificate. Seizing the day of high pressure in the atmosphere, I decided to have a go at astro photography again, now that I live so far out from the city. After dinner, we set out to look for a dark spot in the countryside in Semenyih. We set up our tripods & in the total darkness, we fumbled as the lights from our LED torches temporarily blinded us whenever we switched off for shutter release. Remembering I had the red LED setting on my Petzl e+Lite headlamp, it made it easier to operate in the dark without causing dizzy spells.

As Earth is part of the Milky Way, we can only see speckles of dust or what our eyes can make out as haze or clouds. Looking for the ever-so-familiar sight of the Milky Way, I could only guess which part of the sky it was. I had my Google Sky Map app with me & it provided a very precise location of the constellations in the sky, relative to where I was. Here are the instructions on how to equip yourself & find the Milky Way with your eyes!

The equipment I brought along with me:-

1) Camera – I used the Samsung NX200 mirrorless hybrid for this.
2) Samsung 20mm F2.8 lens
3) Manfrotto MKC3-H01 tripod with movie head
4) Asus Padfone Station
5) Petzl e+Lite headlamp (Get it from Lafuma!)
6) Folding chair

And essentials that you should have with you:-

1) Mosquito repellant.
2) Snacks & drinks to quell hunger pangs when you get too excited.
3) Blinkers to mark yourself in the dark.
4) A multitool to operate quick-release plates/screws etc.
5) Hammock & pillow if you get too sleepy waiting for clouds to pass.
6) An entourage.

‘When observing the night sky, the term “Milky Way” is limited to the hazy band of white light some 30 degrees wide arcing across the sky (although all of the stars that can be seen with the naked eye are part of the Milky Way Galaxy). The light in this band originates from un-resolved stars and other material that lie within the Galactic plane. Dark regions within the band, such as the Great Rift and the Coalsack, correspond to areas where light from distant stars is blocked by interstellar dust.’ – wikipedia.

At different times of the month, you might be able to see it if you find Pluto & a great way to do so is to do a search in Google Sky Map app on your Android device or any other star gazing apps such as Stellarium on your laptop, to point you to the exact location in the sky relative to where you are standing. Make sure your GPS is also turned on in your device.

At Bulb mode, 60 seconds, F2.8, ISO 800, only brightness adjusted.

If you have a bright wide angle lens, use that instead. Telephoto lenses are good for taking pictures of planets, not constellations unless you have a specific constellation that you want in a frame. I have yet to experiment with other lenses & will post an update here once I do. Depending on your settings, the general rule is, the bigger your aperture (smaller F-stop), the more light it allows but to keep the image sharp, you need to keep ISO low (800 or 640) in order to keep the blacks. A minute or less should be sufficient but then again, experiment with stopping up on the ISO or time to get the desired results.

Then I tried to take just the stars at F8.0, 37 seconds at ISO 2000 & all I got were the constellations!

I couldn’t adjust my tripod head to tilt any further as this cluster was already too high up in the sky. Your camera may or may not allow you to have priority release of shutter regardless of whether you can focus on anything or not. In my case, my camera has to be set on Manual mode, Manual Focus & Multi Point Focusing. Adjusting the focusing ring on my lens through the CCD & LCD in the dark is a great pain. Literally, my neck was craned as I had positioned my tripod over my seat to look into my screen as it pointed upwards to the sky. A lot of the aim, is GUESSWORK. Pressing the shutter release was the start, waiting for a minute or so was expected but as soon as you press the shutter again, the camera went into a processing mode which took another minute & during this time, you shouldn’t move your camera or tripod in case the shutter hasn’t really closed yet. I heard a third sound when the processing was done. Through the 4 – 5 hours of shooting, I only managed 30+ pictures, of which only 3 or 5 were usable so don’t fret if you don’t get your pictures on the first try!

Here are some of my fluke shots, the frustration that you get after waiting for the picture to be processed…..

Best time to plan for a starry night, weather & elements dependent, is to use a Moon Phase widget on your Android device to help you decide on the days where the moon would be below the horizon. The best time would be when it’s at waxing crescent or waning crescent, what we know as new moon. Search for an ideal spot to include some trees or landscape in your picture BEFORE your actual night of shooting. This would help with any impromptu decisions to go stargazing whenever the skies are clear. Be aware of your surroundings though. You may not be able to see what’s around you but it doesn’t mean that you are not being watched. Nocturnal animals are out & about too. I found a Terrapin crossing the road & stopped to take a photo of it!

Let me know if you have succeeded in taking any photos of the Milky Way!

I watched a foreign worker in bright reflector vest, sweeping the street just outside our state of the art bus terminal building in Bandar Tasik Selatan when I went there after a workshop to collect my boarding pass. I felt a surge of compassion towards him & I asked God to bless him & the family that he probably has to send money home to. A storm was brewing & from the place he was sweeping, there was no way he could reach the building or any shelter for that matter when the skies pour down. He’s got to get wet to keep OUR streets clean. I couldn’t help but feel sad at the state of the country where foreign workers take up the jobs that are supposed to be filled by Malaysians. I feel sorry that they have to be subjected to harsh working conditions because they have no status here as odd job workers & manual labourers. I felt angry for the way these people have been reduced to such working standards that give them no way to voice their rights. It hurts me to see that despite these unjust treatment levied on them, many of these foreigners are given citizenship by a crooked system that’s bent on milking the nation dry.

Here in Singapore, Malaysians who have flocked here to make their mark have made their mark one way or another. They have been given recognition based on merits & many have decided to embrace the permanent residency offered by the administration & are thriving beyond any of their peers back home. The competitive trait that most of them have acquired, is actually a simulation of the environment that they have to be in & it’s no wonder that they can be successful. Comparing that trait to that of Malaysians’, we fall short & far behind. We don’t even have a minimum wage policy until recently & wages do not increase proportionately with the inflation of goods, leaving many working in jobs to sustain a life they can’t afford to live in. In a few days, I would finish my assignment here & return home where I will be commissioned again for other assignments. I can go on but I’m not here to lament about what has been done or hasn’t been done. I want to put to use what I know for the good governance that I’m looking for & hope for a flood that will sweep the nation. 5 May 2013.

I sought the advice of my King Scout compatriot friend ala outdoor instructor, Adrian Chin who took me on many jungle & adventure pursuits in the past. He showed me his emergency bag of essentials which was equipped with tools & survival equipment to keep him alive for at least 3 days before getting to more help if needed. The Survivalist Sack (pummkinology), similar to a Bug-Out Bag (BOB) in America, which is actually a ‘disaster-relief bag,’ where you pack all your essentials to grab in a haste to escape & run off into the jungle (or wild) to seek refuge/survive till the coast is clear again. It could be in an event of a natural disaster like an earthquake, a tsunami, a flood, a landslide (an avalanche is unlikely here because we don’t have snow in Malaysia), or any other possibilities of ‘Martians’ (or foolhardy sultanates claiming territorial rights while their kinship avenge their defeat) taking over our gardens. In hindsight, we should prepare for a meteor hit like the recent one for if had changed directions & hit us instead of the Russians, we may be blasted into South China Sea. This is just stretching it. Who’s to say what might happen? Who knows if we would have an insurgency of Neptunians or Plutonians who in the course of a universe convention decided to leave the coalition of planets in their orbits to come into ours. Heaven forbids these far-off aliens to land when there are already so many aliens amongst us.

Well, as one of my workshop speakers Mr. Bose said, ‘History has taught us that the Portuguese came & conquered, the Dutch came & conquered, the Japanese & British too. It shows that anyone can come & conquer!’ Hmm……he may be right. Militians (Martians amongst us) can go rogue. Let’s just use the recent insurgency in Lahad Datu as an example for us to be equipped in the eventuality of a similar uprising here. Though I have full confidence in the ability of the armed forces & the police force where 8 of the policemen & 2 army soldiers lost their lives in a battle & ambush, as a responsible citizen, we have to be armed with the knowledge of how to survive in the wild before help reaches you. We are far too dependent upon modern gadgets, all of which require energy/electricity to power up. We have tablets that are not for swallowing, iPads that can’t be used for periods, smartphones that can only be smart when it’s got a data plan. What if the telecommunication towers get jammed? You wanna send smoke signals? Morse code maybe? Or use your loud hailer???

I would like to be prepared myself for the sake of the ones whom I happen to be around at the time of crisis.

Three things to keep in mind when preparing for your kit. You need WATER, SHELTER & FIRE. You can live 3 days without water & 3 weeks without food so food is not really vital when you have the tools to pluck fruits, hunt or fish. You need shelter from the elements. If you have run off into the jungle, you need rain protection. We don’t call it a rainforest for nothing. Dampness can leave you feeling chilly & though we live in the tropics, it’s good to have some kind of rain jacket with you.

My survivals stash other part.

I’ve taken the liberty to kit out my Survivalist Sack with more technical help from the shop & I will teach you what each item is for. Presenting the worse case scenario, you will at least have an idea what each tool can function as, not just for the intended purpose of its design. Here’s a list of things which you should acquire in your Survivalist Sack to keep in your car should an occurrence of any sort take place where you are, you can access the bag & get away. Plan it to your requirement. If you have kids, factor them in. If your kids are big enough to have a bag of their own, kit them up too. If you pack food items, remember they have a shelf life & it would be good for you to take this bag out to practice using it in a camp every few months or so.

I went to the Lafuma store in Bangsar to get most of my equipment as I find them to have most things available & they are the best in its class. If you are still asking yourself if you should get kitted up, let me put it this way, your car has a toolbox as a manufacturer’s specification. In the toolbox, you have an emergency signal, a wrench, a jack, some spanners, screwdriver & one of those tools to change tyres. Your car has an emergency kit to protect you & keep you safe so why shouldn’t you have survival tools to keep you alive in an emergency? You worked so hard to have financial security but have you thought of your physical security? Start planning for this sack now.

When it was still in the shop, I fitted it as best as I could.

I wanted a bag to be small but enough to carry what the essentials.

1) The Bag – Millet Level 15 Sky Diver Hydration Bag – RM 329
This bag has a 15litre capacity & was selected to fit all these items into it. Everything that’s mentioned here can be fitted into this little bag! My next post covers more paranoia to fit more stuff in bigger bags but when go through this list of stuff, you will know what size of bag you need. The thing to keep in mind is, you must be able to hoist your bag easily with little effort because in an emergency, adrenaline rush can zap you of your energy & you wouldn’t want to be saddled with too big of a bag that drags your mobility/movement.

Though this bag has a zipped hydration compartment, I used it to store elongated items such as the Torch Crank Light from GoalZero, an LED wand, my Light My Fire dagger/fire starter, a flexible Platypus plusBottle water container & a foldable stove. In the main compartment, I’ve stuffed a storm shelter, an ultralite towel, disposal toilets for emergencies, a first aid kit, paracord, a mess tin with a Buff wear, Power Bars, a CRKT Eat’N Tool spork, a Lifesystem’s Survival Shelter, thermal blanket & purification tablets.

In the zippered mesh compartment, I’ve stashed away a Gerber’s 8-piece Survival Kit with rope, tinder, fire starter, a knife, a whistle & a survival booklet. I’ve also put my Petzl e+Lite headlamp which happens to be my favourite gadget in this bag.

In the front of the bag, I’ve attached a walking stick, for some support should I injure myself for whatever reason. The Katadyn bottle is attached with a carabiner & a Knotbone bungee cord to secure any wet attire or towel when on the move. Bags must be of immaculate quality & rated to the tested volume (15L, 30L, 45L & above). If it gives way midway, you will have a trail spluttered with your equipment & that would be the last thing you need to handle. Though Deuter was once the market leader, today there are many fakes & copies sold to resemble the genuine. There are parallel importers who take factory rejects from Vietnam & selling them at a fraction of the price here. Do not go for those because a bag’s durability must have gone through quality assurance during the manufacturing phase & must be able to withstand the vigours of travelling & some abuse. Thankfully, Lafuma & Millet backpacks have no copies…….yet. Being the official representative of Lafuma brand in France, you can be certain that all the bags you get from the store in Bangsar are genuine.

More about this Millet Level 15 Sky Diver bag in the following description below.

• Main compartment with U-shaped zip opening
• Front zipped stretch pocket
• Document pocket with key ring
• Zipped compartment for water pouch
• Side stretch pocket
• Stretch pockets pole holder
• BACK/WAISTBELT
• Highly breathable back system
• SHOULDER STRAPS
• Sternum strap + handrest

I wanted everything in this post here to fit inside THIS BAG & it did! You can get a bigger bag if you wish to put in more stuff but that will be addressed in Part 2.

For Water:-

Katadyn MyBottle Purifier – RM220

Rated as the most rugged, longest lasting microfilter in a bottle in the world. Due to its extreme durability and dependability, Katadyn MyBottle Purifier is the choice of the U.S. military and expeditions as this ingenious drinking bottle has an integrated virus filter. The three-stage water filter is the heart of this perfect outdoor drinking system. It eliminates harmful viruses, bacteria, and protozoa. It enables the purification of drinking water at any time and anywhere. Tested with muddy water & water comes out crystal clear. In extreme situations, it’s best to take your shirt to filter out heavier particles of water before straining it into a container. Then pour this water into the Katadyn MyBottle Purifier and drink. I would add a purification tablet into it just to let the filter have a longer lifespan.

Watch how I used cocoa powder (the kind that you make hot chocolate with) with tap water to simulate sedimentation as it gets filtered in the bottle in my kitchen!

It is only in my kitchen would I be able to test this bottle out by using what’s in my larder. I’m saving the use of this as my survival water bottle & it’s good for 100 litres of filtration. If you are in situations where no other option of clean water source is available, you need to trust your equipment to work for you. Being nicely designed, you can also carry this bottle with you when travelling to places where water source may be a suspect. Instructions booklet is enclosed to prepare the bottle for first use & to disinfect the bottle when you store it for a long period of time. There’s function, form & finesse in this bottle. I would be addressing other alternatives in Part 2.

Puritabs

Water purification tablets to treat water before drinking. In places where even the tap water is from a suspicious source, use one tablet per litre for purification before drinking. Get one box.

For shelter:-

Lifesystems 2 Person Survival Shelter Bothy

I chose this survival shelter because it’s lightweight & compact & it’s fully waterproof. Perfect for emergency situations where maintaining body heat becomes a key priority, which means sheltering from the wind, rain or snow. Since Malaysia has no snow save for maybe at the peak of Mount Kinabalu, all Lifesystems Mountain Survival products have been tried and tested successfully in extreme conditions. A lightweight survival shelter for up to 3 persons, or 2 people with rucksacks. Works in place of tents if you can’t grab your tent in time to run. Use paracord & Shelter Systems’ Gripclips to attach ropes to the shelter without puncturing or breaking it.

Originally designed as lightweight emergency shelters, they create a surprisingly warm and sheltered internal microclimate. They can also be useful for meal breaks, route planning, map reading or any other situation that requires a warm, sheltered environment. Why is having a shelter important? Besides the obvious, it also gives you a sense of well-being in a strange, open space. When you feel secure, you are less likely to fear & be able to weather out the conditions. The Tough PU coated waterproof fabric has a 2000m hydrostatic head and fully taped seams. The Lifesystems 2 Person Survival Shelter Bothy’s lightweight design with a window and air-vent prevents claustrobia & the presence of reflective top strips for increased visibility. Enclosed within an integral stuff sack with draw cord closure, it is shorter but wider than the water bottle.

Paracord by Rothco

You need a rope to tie a sheet down for shelter. Sometimes you need to secure things & having a rope with extremely strong construction is necessary. An ideal all-around utility cord in the field, the Rothco Type III commercial paracord is tough and long lasting. The cord is made of 550-pound test nylon and features a seven-strand core for maximum strength. Measuring 5/32 inches in diameter, the paracord is manufactured in the United States by a certified US Government contractor. The paracord is available in several lengths and colours & Lafuma stocks them.

Hammock – RM95

Very easy to set up & deploy, the hammock can help you take 40 winks without having to clear the forest to pitch a tent. Minimal impact on the environment for all greenies reading this but if you ever need to be in the jungle to evade a Martian-attack, chop whatever you need to chop. God will make things grow again, possibly at speeds that you can never ever imagine. All you need is a mosquito net to keep you protected. If a night’s rest is needed, secure a flysheet overhead to keep out rain. This one is packable into a small enclosed pouch fitted into my little 15litre backpack.

For fire:-

Light My Fire dagger/fire starter

A two in one knife that functions as a knife & works as a striker to the magnesium rod that’s tucked away in the handle. Having several fire starters in your kit is good for backup purposes in case you lose your main one. Just strike the rod with the back blunt edge of the knife to create spark on tinder (enclosed in the survival kit below).

A proper knife to cut & gut fish, serves also as a weapon of defence should you come across rogue Martians who attempt to outrage your modesty or cross examine you. Carrying a knife with blades in excess of 10cm is an offence in Malaysia unless you give a good reason for doing so, such as for self defence. I don’t know who made these laws but be cautious anyway.

Gerber Survival 8-piece Kit – RM124

In this little waterproof bag contained in Lightweight Ripstop Nylon Bag with Waterproof Zipper, there’s a Gerber Mini-Paraframe Knife, Emergency Whistle, Fire Starter, Waterproof Matches, Snare Wire, Emergency Cord, Cotton Ball – Fire Tinder & Priorities of Survival – a Pocket Guide that has Bear’s Survival Essentials. On the nylon bag, there’s Land to Air Rescue Instructions. Add in a lighter if you can.

For illumination:-

GoalZero Torch Crank Light (RM130)

This light has a solar panel for daytime recharging of its internal battery which requires 9 – 10 hours of sunlight for a full charge. The best thing about this light is, it has a hand crank (winder) that would generate 10 minutes of light after a constant 1 minute of winding! The tip of the light has 4 LEDs & the front panel has 18 LEDs for you to illuminate your shelter. There’s a hidden hook too. This is a must-have in your Survivalist Sack. A 12V Male Cigarette Adapter & wall charger is included in this super handy floodlight.

Inova Microlight XT LED Wand – RM79.90

When you need markers to indicate your presence in the dark, you need this wand. Powered by a small but powerful LED press light which can be removed & clipped on to your zippers, this wand can be used as an emergency signal marker in the dark with 4 functions – high power, low power, strobe & signal mode. Submersible to 150m, it also floats. Use it as a signal beam in a dive or on the surface for the boat to locate you. You can never have too many LED lights. In a panic, you want to be able to reach for any light & this is one nice light to have to mark your position without using too much battery. This one that I have, glows blue!

ClipLit LED

The Nite Ize ClipLit LED is a bright, water-resistant white light encased in durable, plastic housing and molded to a rugged plastic carabiner clip. Easy to activate—a quick twist turns it on and off—it’s just as easy to clip onto and off of almost anything with a loop. Attach it to your key ring, belt loop, zipper pull, backpack or purse, and you’ll have efficient, bright illumination wherever you are, whenever you want. The ClipLit is perfect for everything from reading fine print to finding a keyhole. And, when it’s attached to your clothing, it’s a fun and stylish way to let people know where YOU are when it’s dark, increasing your visibility and safety. I have a dog & putting one on his collar will allow me to instantly locate where he is if he happens to break free or be off leash. People with anaemia who are prone to passing out should wear this at night as they commute for others to locate them in the dark.

Petzl e+Lite

This tiny little headlamp is the niftiest headlight I’ve ever seen! Slightly bigger than the size of a USB Flash Drive, there is a strong retractable cord that you pull over your head to allow this headlamp to sit on your forehead. Different modes of brightness plus red LED blinking modes for use at night to not disrupt visibility. Bright enough to illuminate a bedroom in the dark! Perfect to use in situations where you need both your hands free. You’ll never know when you have to crawl into tight spaces like how the Vietcongs did it in Cu Chi Tunnels.

At the Cu Chi Tunnel in Vietnam, I went in & crawled 60 meters before I got out with a sense of awe for the Vietcongs!

You can never have too many lights.

For preparation of food:-

Trangia Mess Tin

A great tin to carry supplies, use as a survival kit or to carry food. This can be doubled up as a pot or pan to cook a light meal. I use it to carry my knick-knacks, compass, Puritabs, spork & spices.

Power Bars

A Folding Stove – RM8

A stove that uses solid fuel tablets is necessary to have to boil water or cook your meals. Get one that’s easy to pack away with minimal fuss. I’ve just ordered the White Box Stove that uses alcohol to accompany my cookware.

PlusBottle Platypus Collapsible Water Bottle

A collapsible 1 litre bottle that you can pack away, this Platypus Water Bottle is a storage for extra water if you are far away from a water source. Having several bottles with you will keep you rehydrated till you get to the next water source should it be so scarce.

CRKT Eat’N Tool

Multitool includes spoon, fork or better known as ‘spork,’ bottle opener, three hex wrenches, and a carabiner. Lots of functionality but weighs only 45gm. Large central hole for grip and to reduce weight. Better than the plastic variety where you can’t use strength to pry a drumstick. I keep this & one other plastic variety in the mess tin to eat with.

Gerber Suspension Multi Tool – RM190

A multi tool lives up to its name to serve you in a variety of ways & to get you out of situations. Apart from the spring-loaded pliers, it is also a saw, fine edge knife/serrated edge knife, wire cutter, scissors, crosspoint screwdrivers, small and medium flatblade screwdrivers, can opener, bottle opener & a lanyard hole. Brings out the MacGyvette in me. Always have this in easy to reach places & keep it within its holster when not in use. Very handy to scissor cut a packet of instant noodles or a bag of crisps!

For protection from elements:-

Lifeventure HydroFibre UltraLite Trek Towel – RM139.90

When travelling light, nothings beats having a big towel that wraps into a small package. It rolls up to the size of a mug! Lifeventure’s HydroFibre UltraLite Trek Towel is ultra-lightweight, compact and highly absorbent. Treated with Ax AntiBacterial formula, it dries 10 times quicker than a standard beach towel & absorbs 6 times its own weight in water. Comes in a tough ripstop roll-bag. Use a bungee cord to secure it outside your backpack for faster drying while on the move.

Thermal Blanket

A lightweight, compact blanket which, when wrapped around the body, reflects over 80% of radiated body heat to provide personal protection in the event of an accident, trauma or unexpected exposure to extreme cold. Again, when it rains & you get soaking wet, the wind can lower your body temperature drastically. Keep this in your bag for emergency warming-up needs.

KnotBone Bungee

With carabiner clips instead of open hooks at each end, it not only attaches to your anchor points, it locks there. Instead of elastic that loses its stretch over time, the KnotBone Bungee has a durable, high quality cord that threads through each end, adjusts from 121cm to 25cm in the #9 size and from 71cm to 15cm in the #5 size. Once you have it adjusted to the right length, secure it in place with a simple wrap-and-lock motion. The small self-clipping plastic caps to the cord ends to keep them in place once you’ve got your load secured. No more pulling, stretching, and re-hooking to get the tension you want. The KnotBone Bungee stays right where you attach it, pulls securely to the exact length you need, and locks there.

Use this to set up temporary clothes line or secure your tarp over your tent. You can also use it to hang wet attire or jacket when you secure it outside your backpack. Loads of uses. Get this.

LifeSystem’s Camping First Aid Kit – RM134.00 only

The first aid kit should be priority in your Survivalist Sack. Injuries, even a small one, can lead to infection & if not treated, can lead to gangrene or death. Treat every wound seriously & administer first aid as soon as you can. Treating wounds is necessary in survival because the feeling or sense of well-being is achieved when the wound is dressed. If you are lost, an injury can cause a sense of defeat so treat & rest if you must.

As recommended by the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Product Team, the Lifesystem’s Camping First Aid Kit is designed for dealing with accidents that can happen whenever. The kit contains items for treating and preventing infection in burns, cuts, grazes, blisters and other minor injuries. There are 3 parts to this blogpost. In the next 2 posts, I will address where you can get additional information to prepare yourself. Very comprehensive kit with top of the line dressing that you can’t really find in local pharmacies. Even if you do, you would be spending more time locating all these in different pharmacies due to incomplete resources in each one. Eliminate your headache & just get this kit. You may get a higher specifications kit according to what you feel you want to have.

Contents of the LifeSystem’s Camping First Aid Kit:-

General tools
1 x Primary Care Leaflet
1 x Tweezers
6 x Safety Pins
1 x Scissors (5.5cm Blade)
2 Pairs Vinyl Gloves
1 x Spot Check Thermometer
Medication
16 x Paracetamol Tablets

Bandages
1 x Crepe Bandage 5cm x 4.5m
1 x Triangular Calico Bandage 90 x 127cm
1 x Open Woven Bandage 7.5cm x 5m
Preparations, Disposables & Tapes
6 x Hygienic Cleansing Wipes
1 x Zinc Oxide Tape 1.25cm x 5m
1 x Micropore Tape 1.25cm x 5m
5 x 4-Ply Gauze Swabs 5 x 5cm
3 x Burn Gel Sachets (3.5g)
1 x Strapping Tape 2.5cm x 2m
2 x Sterile Eye Wash (20ml each)

Dressings
1 x Pack of Assorted Plasters
1 x Medium Wound Dressing 12 x 12cm
2 x Low Adherent Dressings 5 x 5cm
1 x Low Adherent Dressing 10 x 10cm
1 x Small Plaster Fabric Strip 4cm x 1m
3 x Wound Closure Strips
1 x Small Eyepad Wound Dressing

Lifeventure Waterpoof Map Aloksaks to 60 Metres x 3

This element-proof bag is perfect for keeping valuables safe and dry in extreme conditions. Ideal for cameras, mp3 players, passports, tickets, money, keys etc. Pack contains 3 sizes. Keep your map, scanned prints of your identification cards, photos of your family members for ID purposes, driver’s licence & birthcerts. These copies are to help you verify your existence/citizenship/identification if the situation is not well. These bags are certified waterproof to 60 metres constructed using medical grade film that is FDA approved. Get these.

Travel John – pack of 3 (RM34.90)

A disposal urinal is God-sent when you are in urgent need to answer nature’s call while you are stuck in your tent & it’s raining cats & dogs outside. You might think of using an umbrella & making a dash into bushes but the stem of your brolly could well be a conductor for lightning if you are in an electrical storm! The Travel John is a convenient & discrete way of doing your business in an exclusive strong plastic that is puncture resistant and contains the revolutionary LIQSORB® polymer pouch that solidifies liquids instantly into a Leak-proof, odourless, spill-proof gel that is non-toxic and safe for disposal in any waste bin. This will be essential for a situation where you are caught with your pants down with nowhere to go…..

For navigation:-

The ideal devise is an outdoor GPS unit provided you have enough batteries to last. The compass is the only reliable navigation aid available & the best of it’s class is the Silva brand. Do not rely on others in your team to know where you are & how far you’ve gone. Always know your orientation & bearings. I’ve got one of these to hang on the zipper of my backpack. Get one & learn how to use it to find your position on the map & how to get from point A to point B.

Silva Compass. RM24

Lafuma’s store in Bangsar

For now, since I haven’t gotten my emergency fishing kit, I will resort to finding fruits, roots & shoots to eat if I do have to be in the wild. Sourcing for survival tools take time & I want you to know where to get them when I find them. Why do you need premium items if you can get equivalent unbranded items elsewhere at much lower prices? If you are already in a survival situation where your life depends upon the efficiency, stability & reliability of your equipment to defend you from the elements (and rogue Martians), don’t you think you would want to invest in good, tested & rated brands? If you can spend RM100,000 to buy a car, RM30,000 for a Rolex watch, RM7,000 for a Macbook Pro, RM4,000 for a Prada bag, RM1,500 for an SKII facial care set, please don’t skimp on your Survivalist Sack. This preparation is for the worse case scenario & you would still benefit if you never have to face an alien invasion. We have no one to rely on but ourselves as living is our responsibility, not the government’s. Just take your equipment out on a camp night & hone your natural skills that we have all lost in the process of modernisation or join me on a fun-filled camp night where the King Scout himself can show us the ropes while we toast marshmallows over the fire & watch each other fumble at setting up camp!

Contact Mr. Ng at Lafuma to help you get your kit ready for collection! He can be reached at +6012-4595012 or +603-22871118

This is the GPS coordinates to the shop. Use a QR Code reader on your smartphone to capture it & open the coordinates in Waze or Google Maps.

Alternatively, use the map below to find your way there.

Note:- Wait for Part 2 where I will address what other essentials to have for your other needs…..which would require a bigger bag! “good”

It’s a monumental effort for CAT (Canine Advisory Team) to convene with the predominantly Muslim councillors from each district in Selangor to come to an agreement on executing plans pertaining to stray dogs management. Muslims being the majority in the country, we appreciate the efforts by them to find a fairground on dog issues & agree to disagree on certain issues. What was discussed on the panel was the dog park with each council giving their support for it to be set up, though in areas occupied by mainly Malays, they have had no request to have a dog park. Those in Shah Alam, Sepang & Selayang haven’t received any request whereas different rules apply in the municipality of Klang, Subang Jaya & Petaling Jaya. In Klang, dogs are allowed on leash to follow their owners everywhere even though they have no dog parks.

Dr. Zainol of DBKL on the left.

The guest of honour we’ve had the pleasure of convening with, was Dr. Zainol of DBKL (City Hall). His input in matters concerning the pounds in Setapak & the recent collaboration with MIAR (Malaysian Independent Animal Rescue) was much sought after especially when there are quarters undermining their efforts of getting the pound dogs adopted. Previously, one organisation headed by a psychopathic reporter who’s task is to demonise any efforts by town councils or city hall to address the stray dog issue, had been trying to browbeat DBKL & MBPJ by portraying them as animal-catching fiends. This of course, had set off a string of gullible believers of incredulous claims, who then set on a rampage to verbally hammer the authorities without facts.

Meeting in progress.

Wising up to their ways, the councils have come to predict what this organisation is all about. It’s become passé & this has caused them to lose credibility, not that they have any in the first place, and caused all councils in Selangor to boycott this ONE organisation. They are not even registered as a society. When you have someone at the top who makes squalid attempts to slander individuals with libel, associating with them can cause you your reputation too. Very soon, you will be the NEXT target. A person who has so much hatred cannot be tasked with nation-building. Dr. Zainol told me about a letter written to them alleging atrocious keeping of dogs at their pound. I told Dr. Zainol that if it was true, he wouldn’t be working with MIAR & the public now. Appointing MIAR, a registered NGO, headed by Puspa Rani & Shalinee Fernandez who’s a lawyer, they can’t go wrong. Puspa may be ranting off her frustrations publicly on her page but her love & dedication for strays is genuine & true. Shalinee, being a lawyer, has a great scale of legal knowledge & ability to vocalise change for the betterment of the management of dogs in the country. Putting Shalinee on the board of CAT together with other NGOs on the panel is a boon to the team! Too bad the organisations she had helped before didn’t recognise her ability but rather, they sought to discredit her by their same modus operandi used on anyone with good ideas.

Having breakfast with Anthony, Shalinee & Yani of Klang Town Council.

Dr. Zainol briefed that since the bylaws had been updated in 2011, the restriction of having domestic pets above the ground floor of apartments has been lifted, thus, permitting dwellers in apartments to KEEP a dog as a pet but must be mindful to NOT let it be an annoyance to neighbours. Dog owners in apartments can finally REJOICE!!!!

Finally, we addressed the issue of the service dogs being put to sleep by the Fire & Rescue Department. Why is it not surprising that the same group of people (comprising of wanimo-sapiens – a genus called Wanii & the species of Waniipets, who hail from the same genus but camouflaged as another being) would launch a rampage to discredit the Department for a task that dignified the passing of their service dogs? I want to say thank you to the trainers who have dedicated their time & effort to train a dog to save a life in a fire or a hazard raid. And that they know it’s not right to give them up for adoption when they are so sick. Please read the letter by Anthony Thanasayan after he had met with the Fire & Rescue Department authorities at Putrajaya on Wednesday & published in The Star newspapers today. I want to thank the Fire & Rescue Department for having such good practices in putting the welfare of the dog first, even if it means to put them to rest after many months of deliberation. I would like to ask you readers to not entertain claims by wanimo-sapiens who take pride in tearing nations down with gutter-reporting & baseless accusations. As a journalist, I must have facts before I write & anything that I dish out, must be credible & accountable. Unfortunately, wanimo-sapiens do not practice that so what you get is basically waniarrhoea.

A well-wisher came to congratulate Anthony on our way back from lunch after the CAT meeting.

Note:- I’ve been besieged with assignments that has left me exhausted & unable to blog for awhile. I believe in taking care of priorities & my friends who share burdens with me. Wait for my next blogpost addressing disaster packs!

At the start of the New Year, life just went on turbo mode. I accepted assignments that sent me to places, spent 5 days in Singapore, then spent another 6 days travelling to India & back. I’ve amassed a load of pictures which I’m tirelessly going through & selecting them for the stories. Returning from several birding trips & planning some more reminded me of words of wisdom from Chien who had persistently gone back to get the birds when no one did. I miss his take on so many aspects of my life & I’ve assimilated all of his advice on how a birder should be. Babes, how I wish you were here to see your legacy continue in the friends you have inspired such as the vivacious Georgina Chin, who has published a coffee table book with your excerpts, no, epilogue on birding. Even Nelson Khor, your best sidekick, the man of few words whose photographs of birds show more than what we will ever see, had started Malaysia’s very own bird forum to teach & nurture many Chinese-speaking birders to take pictures the way you did. To think that once, you defended him when the slew of nature police went after him for a crime against nature which he was innocent of. Today, he is standing upright & showing the rest how to be a leader the way you led. And me? Oh, I’m just going to places that you have told me to go, to see the birds that we have been after & to experience other cultures just as you did. I know you wanted me to be enriched just like you & would get upset if I didn’t listen. I am your legacy too. Today, I write more about nature & birds than I ever have in my life. And it’s all thanks to you.

My friends took me to Perdik. New birders who have the same passion for documenting birds. I brought my famous relax camo chair along, a gift from Philip Tang, and a camo collapsible umbrella I got from Colleen Goh which I never leave without. Just as well, the skies opened up & poured. Not wanting to waste the opportunity, I stood in my poncho, holding my umbrella & shielding my camera gear while I shot some of the flora & fauna in the jungle. Having acquired the Kiwifotos 4/3rds adapter for my Samsung NX200, I was able to mount my Sigma 50-500mm lens on it. The pictures came out pretty good.

Ferns in the jungle look more appealing to me.

The fire ants on the banana flower as it drizzles.

Birds were hard to shoot. With a full manual mode system, I was positioned right in the centre of fruiting trees & saw Barbets, Shrikes, Malkohas but they didn’t stay long enough for me to get a sharp shot. I managed to take videos but I need to find time to upload them. Walking along the fringe of the jungle, I came to a small farm & found a fluttering Rajah Brooke waiting to settle for some salt licks. The makcik by the name of Asiah, came out to check on what I was doing as I looked at her farm with fascination. She had free range chickens!!! And a few strange looking birds which I hadn’t seen before. There were ducks but they ran away when they saw me coming in with my tripod. I asked her why that strange looking fowl was called ”˜Ayam Keluk-Keluk.’ She said, “sebab bunyi dia macam keluk keluk keluk!” (it made the sound of keluk keluk keluk!) The cows had free range of the place too & the owner of the farm had to stop a territorial bull from coming at me. Yikes. The natural hazards of nature photography.

The gobbledegook bird called Ayam Keluk-Keluk.

The resting rooster, awaken by the pecking hen!

Came across a very friendly Rajah Brooke!

We really got rained out & decided to quit for lunch at 2:30pm but not before I spotted a Drongo! People think black birds are drabby but this is such a beauty! You don’t need to have expensive gear to take priceless photos. You need to be at the right place at the right time, hopefully with the right settings on your camera for the right moment. All these photos on this post was taken on manual focusing with infinity focus. Here’s wishing for more opportunities like this!

Drongo.

Imagine being able to take your camera with you no matter what the weather is like. On days when you want to take snapshots of your trip to the beach or the waterfalls, you no longer need to worry about getting wet or destroying your gadget. You can even protect your camera when you go cycling, jungle trekking, kayaking or while attending wet festivals such as Songkran in Thailand and La Tomatina in Spain! Now there’s a manufacturer who has come out with a universal underwater housing for your compact camera as well as a dedicated housing for iPhone users. If you have brands of compact cameras like Nikon, Samsung, Sony, Canon, Panasonic, Olympic, Fujifilm, Leica, Casio, Sanyo, Ricoh, Pentax, Kodak, BenQ, Haier, Polaroid, Rollei, Yashica, GE then you would most definitely have your camera housed.

Configuration is quite simple but needs a little understanding of the structure of your camera & how it will fit inside your Seashell SS1 or SS2 housing. Generally, if you have a compact camera that has a protruding zoom lens, then go for the SS1. If your camera has a flat lens & a shutter closure, then get the SS2 housing. I needed a fuss-free option where I can keep a camera on me, so that I won’t have to miss any whaleshark sightings should I be conducting the Advanced Scuba Diver course or any other courses except entry level dive courses (which is prohibited in the standards to carry a camera). This housing fits snugly into my dive shorts pocket. I secure the lanyard to a carabiner which is clipped inside my pocket’s D-ring. The Pentax Optio RS1500 that I had won in the My Selangor Story 2011 blogging competition was a perfect candidate for this pretty housing. Since I have different cameras for different purposes, I use this as my back up underwater system.

The fitting of the fishtails (silicon pads) was a bit tricky even with the supplied template that you are suppose to measure your camera against. I basically gauged which fishtail should cushion the bottom & applied some guesswork to which goes onto the side wall slots. Put them all into a ziplock bag to prevent losing them over time. They can be used again if you change cameras & need a re-fitting. After placing my camera inside, I took the sponge frame to fit over the display panel of the camera with the sticky side facing up before gently closing the door. Once it caught on, I pressed the sponge into place & voila! My casing is ready to go into the water!

Here are some point & shoot pictures taken with it.

During a night dive where my torch was my primary light that doubled up as my subject finder!

A lionfish or two, lurking on the reef.

A Chromodoris reticulata (nudibranch) at Sri Nakhoda, Tenggol.

Seashell is the world first Universal Water Proof Camera Case. Seashell can be configured to fit hundreds of different compact digital camera models. e.g. GE, Nikon, Sony, Canon, Panasonic, Olympic, Fujifilm, Leica, Casio, Sanyo, Ricoh, Pentax, Kodak, Samsung, BenQ, Haier, Polaroid, Rollei, Yashica and many more. You can now safely bring your camera to the beach, waterfalls, water themed parks & river cruise or lakes for swimming, and even to water festivals and not get it wet.
        

        Comes with the configuration kit.
        40m water-proof.
        Operate down to -10 degrees Celsius.
        1M Shock Proof.
        IP6X Dust Proof.
        Hard case design, provide better protection against shocks, dust and sand.
        Fashionable design with multiple colour options.

If you are interested to get one, please contact me via email at iam (at) pummkin (dot) net. Price for SS1 & SS2 is RM635.00 and for the SSi (iPhone4) is RM 575.00. Delivery within Klang Valley is RM10 only.

I wore new clothes on the first day of Chinese New Year & spent my whole afternoon with Freda laughing at all the challenges we have had to live with. My neighbour has about 8 people, maybe more, living in their house & with the increase in numbers, there’s always noise. We talked about handling enemies like what I had been taught how to when I wrote about it here. I’m having to deal with clamming up, being unable to express myself as the need of privacy in my life grows deeper. I have lost patience with people probing into my life when I don’t want to share, with people who ask me out for no apparent reason but to get to know me & people who try to waste my time in thinking that I have nothing better to do than to be of service them. I’ve stopped talking because I cherish my space so much. They are not bad people before you think that I’m insinuating. It’s just that I can’t understand why people can’t respect my space. The longest letters I’ve written are letters to Chien, my late best friend. I call them letters even though it reaches him at the instant that I press the send button because he was a great communicator & he valued my space & privacy. We connected as soul mates who knew what each other was doing even when we lived in different states. We didn’t have to report to one another but because he was in tune with my life as much as he shared a great part of his with me. I find it ever so difficult to connect with others now that he’s not here any more. Friends of mine with the greatest of good intentions have been trying to fill this void & have somewhat succeeded in part, never in whole. I wish they would remain as they are & not try to be a Chien to me. I value each one of them dearly & if they do anything that probes into my privacy, I will back away. It’s creepy to have someone track you on everything that you do. There’s a time & place for everything.

Those who are in my acquaintance list are the most worrying when you know they are out to hunt for a Miss Right. They go through a list of people whom they want to get to know better, ask for recommendations/introductions only to return to you to ask you out. What makes them think I’m interested to be with them in the first place? I already have such limited time for myself & my deserving friends, I cannot spare a minute for mindless chatter or small talk just so that they can ‘get to know me better.’ Going out is an effort. Time is costly. Every mindless minute I spend with anyone is minutes that I can never get back. What I do must count for the betterment of both parties. I don’t remember having this barrier before but I had to put it up to prevent myself from wasting other people’s time. Thank you for considering me even after having gone through your list of impossibles. Now you can add me to that list too.

I’ve been stealing time off to the jungle to capture my prized treasures & I’ll leave you with this Striped Throated Bulbul that had just gotten fed on a fig tree & was ready for a siesta. While I process pictures from my India trip, do checkout my Flickr for more photo updates. I hope this Chinese New Year would bring you much happiness & joy that prosperity cannot buy & may you be blessed with much more! Blessed Chinese New Year!

On the animal welfare front, we have gained good ground by working with the first local council in Malaysia to celebrate & honour World Animal Day 2012. All thanks to Anthony T, who spearheaded & founded CAT (Canine Advisory Team, a panel in which I sit in) in MBPJ as a councillor since 2008, we will soon have a dog park to let our dogs be paw-loose & fancy-free! Listen to his speech at the launch of the day in the video below.

So much work set in motion by Sabrina Yeap, who also passed away this year, contributed to this effort of councils & organisations getting together. There are those who think that they are a contributing factor while they clamour for her stature but no one have the guts & gall that Sabrina had to have spent her life dedicated to making life worth living for the animals. Hardly surprising because those who deem themselves important have so many personalities uprising from their virtue of stunning others with incorrigible behaviour & expletives incontinence. And their little squadron of likeminded individuals, usually personalities playing up from not following doctor’s orders, would start to fire at anyone & everyone who has never known of such vocabulary. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks, the pen writes or the keyboard types. When these keyboard warriors go on a rampage, they can only fool some of the people, some of the time. When some of these individuals stopped making sense years ago, I’ve pretty much disregarded their significance in the world of rescue. They have only themselves to rescue out of the pit they have dug & fallen into some time ago. I pray that they would find peace amidst the turmoil they face within.

Later on in the year, I was featured on a full page of a Chinese daily & Szee Cshieng, the journalist from Kwong Wah Yit Poh contacted me a month ahead to set an appointment for the feature. We met in 2007 at the LIMA exhibition in Langkawi. Since then, she had been following my pursuits on FB. Thank you for the compliments in the 7 roles that you reprised of me but I see myself as an adventurer more than as a star. If God has given us skills & talents, then we must use them to bless others. Even if it’s just to teach a new skill, impart a knowledge or to share responsibilities. In doing this, my life is enriched. In living life to the fullest, I am able to create pieces that thrills from having lived that journey of getting to wherever or whatever. This came shortly after my interview with Cars, Bikes & Trucks section of New Straits Times & a feature done by Grace Chen.

A directive from the top had me moving out of the city & into the beautiful countryside. My move is all done now & settling into my new place is easy. It’s the unpacking & organising of my stuff that’s daunting. Taking for granted of my ever present kitchen for the last 7 years, I didn’t know how much I missed not having one so I fitted in a brand new stainless steel kitchen & got myself a full-fledged/featured microwave oven that grills, bakes, steams & microwaves! Rufus took about 10 days to resign to his new home & he’s loving it here too. And my cousin Lisa gave me an infrared gas stove as a house-warming gift and guess who has been dropping in for meals ever since??? My beloved guest from Italy & the Scotsman living opposite my place! Hahahaha! Thanks, Lisa! I love the stove! I got a chicken timer for Christmas too & a pack of drink stirrers in addition to some birthday presents (gadgets & a locket). They also loved the DOM Benedictine that’s been evaporating from my non-consumption of it & topping it with Bulla’s Caramel Toffee Ice Cream, it seemed to have made these men happy! Not to mention, we even had a go at my rice wine meant for cooking…….. Time to stock up my freezer & pantry!

When packing to move, I found my stash of yarn. It was then that I decided to pick up my first love of crochet & made a pair of gloves, a cowl for my winter trips, two boleros and now starting on my another pair of gloves. I ordered more yarn & am enjoying church service so much more!

Making full use of fill-in time like getting caught in traffic jams, in between appointments & travelling transits, I was able to make all that. Imagine if I had more time on my hands! I’d be attempting to make those pretty tunics & dresses! If you like crochet, follow my crochet boards on Pinterest to get patterns & inspiration!

So the world didn’t end. Even after Chien died, mom died, Chien’s mom died, Sabrina died, Maxine died. I choose to think that my chapter with them has ended. And they would want me to write new books & chart new paths with other people too. And my world, the one that God has blessed me with, has just begun. Thank you, Lord, for a remarkable 2012.

Joshua, playing the lead role as Prospero.

Tabitha, whose voice is more resounding than her stature, gave a wonderful performance.

My charming student, Li-Jin & his co-actress!

This year, I received several gadgets for Christmas, one of them had been my wish for ages, a Fa&Mi underwater video light!! Off to savour my other presents that came in the form of jars of anchovies & precious truffles in honey! Here’s wishing you a Merry Christmas!

For more pictures of the production, go to my Flickr & look for Events & Festival collection.

This journey aided with the Galaxy Note II will bring everything special about Malaysia to life. A traditional congkak (an elongated wooden egg tray that holds glass marbles as part of the game) is animated into a dragonboat with rowers, depicting the annual races held in the waters of Penang. The stigma of a hibiscus magically transforms into a plant growing out of the fields & a pitcher plant intertwined with KL Tower. This is Galaxy Wonderland! A celebration of Malaysia’s identity through her culture, places & art in a musical voyage brought to life on  Samsung’s latest flagship, the GALAXY Note II. Yuna will once again work with a host of creative collaborators as well as her fans to paint a Malaysian Wonderland through the eyes of her people.

Yuna is a unique artist embodying the heart & soul of the inspirational stories that Samsung wants to showcase on GALAXY Wonderland. The experience of being able to submit unique creations online as part of the project motivates one to connect with her on an artistic level. To contribute to a beautiful collection of inspiring personal stories with other Malaysians & be considered as part of the project inspires me to continue to shoot the essence of Malaysia in my travels. I submitted a few underwater pictures of several dive sites in Malaysia and will be submitting a few illustrations of what Malaysia means to me.

The site shows you several options that you can do. You can either select the illustrating pen & draw whatever you wish or select the picture or video upload of your work.

You can submit your stories about your inspirations, on GALAXY Wonderland’s online portal, http://galaxywonderland.my as Yuna will use these personal accounts to find her own creative spark to write a new song! Anyone armed with the GALAXY Note II or a simple writing tablet and stylus can populate the online portal with whimsical illustrations or submit pictures showcasing what is unique about Malaysia to you. In its expanding landscape of ideas & surreal elements, GALAXY Wonderland will incorporate your submissions (upon approval) in a music video featuring her new song produced with the GALAXY Note II.

Yuna’s journey on GALAXY Wonderland will be featured in a series on Astro Ria. Catch her to see if your work is in her song!

Samsung and Yuna’s first collaboration, the Sparkle Project, saw Malaysia’s first music video created with the GALAXY Note. This musical partnership is a true showcase of creativity and a testament to what can be achieved when people, music, and technology are brought together. Recently, the Sparkle music video won the Best Music Video award on Anugerah Industri Musik (AIM), Malaysia’s premier music award-giving ceremony.

To be a part of her inspiration in her next song, journey with GALAXY Wonderland and the new Samsung GALAXY Note II & submit your artistic impressions now! On GALAXY Wonderland’s portal,  galaxywonderland.my  or visit Samsung Mobile Malaysia Facebook page at  https://www.facebook.com/samsungmobilemalaysia .

Fret not if you were not in the midnight queue, there’s a better way to get it with savings of up to RM1,921 at your nearest Blue Cube outlet! From as low as RM278 on the device after savings and total monthly rebate up to RM1,210, simply choose the ideal Celcom First plan to suit your needs:

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We continued to venture with the guidance of the prominent artist, Victor Chin & environmental guardian, Adrian Yeo & his team to the back lanes where we got the chance to enter a house that resembled a ”˜secret society’s den’ in the heydays. It looked like a clan house. The doors had vertical bars as barriers, something that you don’t see in modern architecture anymore. Then we stopped for a mid-morning snack where I had a bowl of yee mee for breakfast & a generous handful of spongerusks that Victor handed out. I forgot what it was like savouring the flavours of Petaling Street where my late mother frequented when I was growing up. Four generations of my family have lived & breathed the air of the confluence of two rivers, known as Kuala Lumpur & never before have I felt so depressed about the lost of a heritage site. Sitting by the sidewalk is an gentleman of Indian heritage who came here as a boy at 5 years of age. Today, he 58 years old. He sells sundries, newspapers & magazines for as long as he had been there.

Walking further along the street heading to Chin Woo Stadium, I got to see the art along the side walls of Yan Keng Benevolent Dramatic Association. Here is where a prominent tailor, Kwong Fook Wing, made his royal commissions. The KL Commercial Book Store is also situated here. After the final stop at Chin Woo Stadium, the highest point in Kuala Lumpur city, we made our way to lunch in a backstreet restaurant before parting ways. It is reported that one is able to look directly at Bukit Aman police headquarters where before it wasn’t possible during the British occupation in Malaya!

I whipped out my drawing tablet and doodled away to finish my inspirator, Ernest Zacharevic’s sketch! Here’s what I illustrated……

Screenshot of my drawing before submission….

And it’s simple as this was what I had to do. Just select any one of the four artists/artistes and finish up what they have drawn up and wait for them to pick the four winners! Apart from the chance of winning the movie hall by finishing Sharifah Amani’s drawing, you could also try your hand in the stakes to take home Ernest Zacharevic’s masterpiece, a personalised Adam Carruthers’s jersey or a dinner for two at Razif Hashim’s favourite restaurant, Prime! I will draw another sketch after this post & pray that I will win at least one of the prizes!

Visit BeCreative and follow the easy instructions on board then select any of the ambassadors where they will begin to draw a sketch for you to finish up!

Taken from the features of Samsung’s Galaxy Note II, the larger screen and enhanced S-Pen features will change the way you communicate! I love my Galaxy Note but the successor is even more awesome!

Watch what Ernest does in this video!

The four ambassadors of Galaxy Note II.

The sketches for you to finish!

The grapevine is finally bearing fruit. i-Aficionados would be elated to know that they would be getting their hands on the much awaited iPhone 5 with just RM200 deposit to pre-order a unit & get invited to the launch to be one of the firsts in Malaysia to own it! Running on the latest iOS 6 and A6 chip, you can experience performance and graphics up to twice as fast. With improved battery life, the wide 4” Retina display is set to fix your gaze on colours you never knew existed and with an 8MP camera in your pocket/handbag/man-bag/fuzzy-cosy, you will never miss any action in any situation again! Your own personal mobile assistant, SIRI would probably tell you to interact as much as you can with the 16GB, 32GB or 64GB of storage space for your content, so you can leave the good trusty laptop at home.

Only with Celcom, the largest mobile network coverage in Malaysia, would you get an enhanced full experience of the coveted iPhone 5. Time is of essence so head on over to BlueCube to secure yourself a unit now!

Before you go, here are the list of things that you must carry on you when you set out on the long walk. You are not adviced to go if you don’t have these things on you.

• Insect repellent <– compulsory. Midges will get you otherwise. These are nastier than mosquitoes & they come in swarms. Preferably, wear long sleeves or you will be considered as one with the colony of monkeys nearby.
• Hat. The sun has no mercy. Stay cool & stay in the shade. Machismo can’t take you far in this park. Use a brolly if you have to. There are camouflage collapsible ones sold in tactical shops to prevent you from sticking out like a sore thumb as you wait for the birds.
• Polarised sunglasses. <– you will need this to prevent you from squinting the whole day. Go to Peak Vision Optics & get yourself a pair of Cocoons.
• Drinking water. <— compulsory. When you find a bird stalking a prey, you wouldn’t want to run back to the park office to get something to quench your thirst.
• Batteries for all gadgets. Your phone, your camera, GPS, torch, whatever you need to power up everything for you to document the journey (of birds).
• Portable/handheld fan. You will thank me for this.
• Camouflaged attire or any green, brown or khaki coloured clothing will help you blend into the surroundings & get nearer to the birds.
• Folding chair to rest at will.

Leave word with your friends & the park ranger of your expected time of return. They will send for a search party if you are caught ogling at birds longer than you should. We set off early in the morning to get there after breakfast. The loop around the wetlands is several kilometres long but you will see plenty if you keep your eyes peeled. The only migrants who arrived sooner than expected were the Blue Tailed Bee Eaters.

Blue Tailed Bee Eaters. I think they were having a bit of a domestic quarrel here!

Walking along the fringe of the mangrove, we spotted a huge bird lying on the ground. When we got closer, it flew to the nearby trees, settling just above our eye level. It was a huge Crested Serpent Eagle! We had a good 20 minutes shooting it at all lighting conditions & angles never thought possible. A Black Naped Oriole was consistently attacking it to chase it away from its nest, assumed to be nearby. The eagle didn’t budge until it spotted a bigger morsel further into the jungle.

Soaring above us was a White Bellied Sea Eagle, taken here just after a successful hunt. The fish it caught in its talons was a sizeable one! We weren’t really looking up into the sky if we weren’t having a break & thankfully, I had the camera ready. They will usually give out a shrill but most come unannounced when they hunt.

Us taking a break in the shade while waiting for the kingfisher.

Flying Lizard (Cicak Kubing)

Birds are not the only kind of wildlife we see in the park. There are Flying Lizards too! When we went up to a watchtower, we got to capture a few woodpeckers looking for worms in the woods.

Spending a good 5 hours at the park & returning with all these beauties in our memory cards was all we came after. On the way back, we were treated to another session of birding when we saw a tree filled with nests that turned out to be Baya Weavers’ nests. Treading carefully & slowly, I was able to film one doing the deed! See video here:-

They are normally built on the same tree.

Closer look at the nest.

Coming away with a few residents & one migrant specie in my list is a great boon to come back again & again. More birds will be arriving in these shores as December approaches so it’s the best time to be watching them at Kuala Selangor Nature Park! Don’t forget that list of things to bring!

To get there, you can take the bus or taxi but it’s more advisable to drive.

(Taken from Wikipedia)
Visitors can board Selangor Bus No. 141 from Medan Pasar Bus Hub in Kuala Lumpur. The bus departs half-hourly from KL between 6.30am and 7.30pm, and takes 2 hours (++) to reach the bus terminal at Bandar Malawati, Kuala Selangor. (The last bus for the return trip from Kuala Selangor to KL is at 7.45pm) The one-way fare is RM7.30. The bus hub is about 100m north of Central Market. From Masjid Jamek LRT, walk 100m southeast along Jln Tun Perak before turning right into Lebuh Ampang. After walking another 100m, you will see the bus shelter next to a grey “clock tower” in the small square.

Directions from Bandar Malawati Bus Terminal: The terminal is in Bandar Malawati, which is about 1km southeast of the town centre. You can then take a RM5 taxi ride / local bus to the town centre of Kuala Selangor (alternatively you can take a 15-20min walk). [The bus terminal is also served by Cityliner buses from Klang]

It’s a one hour journey by cab. The cab might also not be able to pick up a passenger on the way back, so expect fares to be high. For comparison, the distance from KL to KLIA is about 80km and a one hour journey. Taxis typically want RM 70 for a trip to the airport. So you would expect something similar, or higher for this trip. You might be able to negotiate a good deal if you book the taxi for a return trip.
Hourly hire rates for a small taxi (red/white) is about RM35 an hour if you would like to book one for the duration of the trip.

If you drive, set your GPS to Kuala Selangor Nature Park & navigate your way there! I use Waze, available on iPhone & Android.

Sometimes, things don’t go as planned or just find that plans have gone entirely off track. In the last one month or so, I’ve had the opportunity to experience friendship like I have never before. I went in search of a new place of residence without really knowing where to start except that I have a budget to keep & I have Rufus to consider. And after much praying, God showed me a sign. In the following few days, the ”˜sign’ was spoken of by friends in a conversation. When I went to view the house that I was to occupy, I saw the ”˜sign’ in the house next door. The day after, during a management retreat with NST in Bukit Tinggi, I was asked again about this ”˜sign.’ I take it that God had found the place for me & I made plans to move. My new landlord is a very nice guy who fixed a new water heater for me too! The thought of buying a house & getting into debt is just not what I want. I can’t afford a lifestyle where I’m a slave to it. It may be for most people, to progress in life to buy a house but somehow, I know I will go where my work takes me, no matter how far & that means, I have to be as mobile as ever without any incumbrances.

Then comes the friend bit. My friends came to help me out. Kenny & Gary offered their trucks to move my stuff. Aziz was helping me pack & get organised. Edmund came with his staff to help me move several loads. I called my favourite mover, a lorry driver who came with his two sons, to move the big items. He never fails to make me laugh. We became friends in the course of moving several times in the late nineties! Rufus wasn’t very happy at first but he’s already resigned to the fact that this is his new home after the bulk of the items came in. I had to ferry him in my car wherever I went because he was unsettled & whimpered when I left. I can’t have that. So I strapped him to my passenger’s seat & he would be happily restrained by the seatbelt contraption that my cousin, Lisa, bought for him.

Finding stuff that’s been hidden for so long caused me to rekindle a passion that I had for crochet. I made hats, scarfs, gloves, amigurumi (toys), cosies, bags & cases and I wondered where did all that love for crochet go all these 7 years??? God had showed me signs early this year when my orchids that had never flowered since I set foot in that apartment 7 years ago, had started to bloom. He told me it was to be a new beginning. I didn’t understand it then but I did not question Him because I know whatever He brings, it is always good for me. And I started to crochet again. Follow me on Pinterest or selectively follow my Things I Would Crochet board if you want some inspiration!

I got myself a king sized Luxury Escapes (King Koil) mattress for the new king bed was still in its original wrapping, packed flat, when I got it years ago. I had been sleeping on my existing queen bed all this while, never found a good enough reason to upgrade till now. Guess who has free reign of the bed? ?

Moving to the countryside has a great advantage of being stress-free & I have many things to post but I have to take some time to find things in this mess & should be quite occupied over the next 2 months!

Attending the gala premiere of the movie Istanbul Aku Datang on the night of the 24 October under the invitation of Tourism Turkey, I truly enjoyed the performance of our homegrown actors, Harris (Beto Kusyairy), Dian (Lisa Surihani) & Azad (Tomok). The entire movie was shot in Istanbul, Turkey, a place that I will be visiting next year. The stars were mingling about while I said my hellos to my host, Ali Gulen & the people from the embassy. What thrilled me in the movie was how this idealistic blogger, Dian, who makes her journey to Istanbul a trigger to all her emotions, in a plan to get her boyfriend to propose marriage. She was confronted with the harsh realities of travel (and life) when she had to struggle with her many bags, (something that I too, have to manage), her hope for her love, her fear of cats and the unexpected circumstances that came her way. Thinking she had it all planned, she enrolled in a language course to stick around for 3 months, a period that was to encompass the fairy tale proposal.

On her second day, she was reminded to get a place of her own as her boyfriend, Azad, didn’t want her to be seen living with 3 blokes. Each night, she would blog & plot her moves with her readers giving her sound advice as she signs off with XOXO, D & publishes the blog. Her house-hunting became another nightmare. She ended up in an apartment without knowing it was already tenanted. The conflict starts when the rightful tenant, Harris, whom she antagonistically calls Awak (You) & her intrude into one another’s private space, especially while in the bathroom. Director Bernard Chauly, cleverly depicted the surprise reaction, when Harris stood in front of the water closet, he jumped & ”˜misfired’ the entire bathroom. There were other hilarious moments that had me in a fit. I was glad to note that I wasn’t the only one laughing so hard. There was a ”˜Maggi moment,’ which I could identify with, causing a stir to know how close to home we are when we have such familiarities. Harris starts out as an unrelenting, rightfully assertive, gay housemate…..until he received his Maggi Assam Laksa replacement in a box with an apology. His role as Harris is the man any woman would want while Azad’s act showed the unpleasantness of a man-in-want. Dian’s portrayal will ring true for any girl who has gone to the other side of the world to look for love. I will not give the plot away because watching this movie will stir you into a fury of emotions as their characters unfold. I can’t wait to get my DVD copy to get stirred up again. The movie has English sub-titles & when they converse in English, sub-titles would be in Malay.

        

Tomok when singing on stage at the launch.

Beto being interviewed.

The actors & the host in a lighthearted moment before the movie which will debut on 8 November 2012 in local cinemas.

Set in Istanbul, you should plan your holidays to Turkey after watching this movie because if the romanticism doesn’t make you want to go, the beautiful architecture would.

Oh-chien (Hokkien pronunciation) or Ho Cheen Tahn (Cantonese pronunciation) is a favourite dish amongst the Chinese from the world over & in Malaysia, there are lots of varieties of this oyster omelette. Bringing you my favourite oh-chien hawker whom I had been patronising for more than a decade, Mr. Yee opens his stall for business in the cluster of hawkers at Sang Kee Restaurant in Makhota Cheras, Selangor. Returning from his break of 4 months after he moved from Ampang, his unique omelette cannot be rivalled anywhere.

This month, Tourism Selangor brings you to the crown of Cheras to bring you the people’s favourite!

The batter of potato starch is poured onto the grill to make the base while the eggs that have been whisked with chives & diced Choy Poh (preserved radish) are added onto the batter. Mr. Yee then pushes the batter aside before throwing in a generous amount of diced garlic onto the grill. His wife assists him by scooping a ladle-full of big oysters & handing them to him in a sift. I counted them. Mine had 10 pieces & they were succulent & juicy! He adds a few kinds of sauces & pepper before tossing them about to seal in the flavour. He artfully uses both hands holding wok ladles in each to stir-fry & coat the batter with oil. Finally, he takes the crispy, golden brown batter to cover the oysters & picks them up onto a plate. Served with a dish of chilli sauce for that zing though it’s not spicy, it complements the taste of the eggs, choy poh & oysters.

Mr. Yee also does Lobak Ko – a kind of Chinese carrot cake & I have been eating his special omelette since he had a stall at Taman Desa for a number of years before moving to other locations in the 12 years that I have known of his amazing oyster omelette. Nowhere else does it this good & if you have not tried this style of omelette, you will never know what you have missed. Watch how he cooks it here:-

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The coffeeshop restaurant is at Jalan Temenggung 1/9 in Bandar Makhota Cheras & you can use these GPS coordinates to get there:- N3 03.051 E101 47.426.

He’ll add in something special if you tell him you were sent by Pummkin!

Along with GTalk, Google’s chat platform, LilyPad HD can login to Facebook to connect you with your friends effectively. It replaces the need to have FB Messenger and chatting in the browser which is slow & laggy. When you need to get a simple message across, getting your characters garbled in lag is not what you want. Apart from getting notifications for GTalk  & Facebook, there’s also an MSN/Live Messenger option to connect with your diehard-would-not-use-Gmail-type of friends. Since Hotmail deleted all my email & contacts after I left it inactive for 3 months, I switched to Gmail permanently. If having an account with them would subject me to lose conversations & correspondence again, I will just let it sit on a LilyPad!

Staying in touch should be a cinch, not a chore when you need not switch task and not risk losing your work because you pressed Home button or exited before saving. A tablet app that is made to simulate a computer experience is all I need to function when on-the-go. LilyPad HD is my connectivity tool for an easy access to friends that I can see on a screen 100% of the time until I minimise or close it. It is free to try & only cost a few dollars to buy this convenience for your Android tablet.

For the love of all things tech, the gearget girl makes an appearance at the much anticipated launch of the Samsung Galaxy Note II smartphone on 11 October 2012. Weaving through the heavy traffic in the rain to Zebra Square, the crowd mingling at the foyer greets me as I scan for familiar faces. It’s a much younger crowd at the do, most notably making up the numbers were the bloggers who appealed to the Generation Y.

Samsung selected three celebrities to showcase the Note II, the first being Adam Carruthers, the TV host, whom I had to do a Google search on to see what he was about as I don’t watch television & certainly didn’t have any interest in football to know how prominent he was in the field. FIrst I got a jolt upon seeing the same name appearing as a sex offender in my search results only to laugh at the disparity between the two. Adam is charming & charismatic as he evidently addressed the crowd & his co-speakers on stage when he demonstrated the Note II. Deborah Henry was the stunning host for the event & calling the second person in line, Razif Hashim, an actor & food show host, got on stage to join Adam. The third person was a real boon & he was none other than the talent behind the street murals that adorn Penang’s heritage buildings, Ernest Zacharevic!

The use of a Note II I would say, is befitting of an artist like Ernest who makes art so inviting in encompassing the culture of Penang as he painted the murals that he’s so well-loved for. He’s changed the streets of Penang & connected young & old folks in his depiction of culture in his art. Here, Ernest sketched a girl on the Note II before showing what one can do with the S-Pen, which is apparently vastly improved from its predecessor. WIth a vivid Super AMOLED screen, Samsung banks on inspiring everyday creativity in offering this tool of expression. WIth a full suite of apps that make use of the S-Pen, Samsung has added more productivity tools in the Note II’s Jelly Bean operating system.

There were 2 phones up for grabs, literally, when the balloons were released to the frenzy of people jostling & shoving to get at. Hidden in every balloon is a slip of paper that mostly says, ”˜Better luck next time’ or ”˜Congratulations!’ Whoever thought of this gimmick probably didn’t think enough when they centred the cluster in the middle of a huge hall. Why would they expect ladies in the room to jostle with men just for a phone? Whoever thought of the idea of guests grappling to seize & burst those balloons obviously thought very lowly of the guests in attendance. Seeing a lady get groped & shoved to the floor, much to her dismay, her winning slip flew out to the person who opportunistically claimed it for himself. I wonder if the event company thought we were hard up for the phone……

The activities outside proved to a hit with the guests who got to fiddle with the units to see how it performs. There was a ”˜decorate your cupcake’ counter that you can creatively garnish & being distracted by taking photos, I forgot to eat mine. The Note II is equipped with an 8 megapixel auto focus camera with LED flash, illuminating subjects when light fails you. Built to power movies, its 1.6GHz quad core processor can multitask as you watch your favourite films or YouTube funnies. The exterior is similar to the Galaxy S III’s smooth screen body & shoots pictures like the SIII too.

With insufficient time to explore this gadget, I will continue to cherish my Note & endeavour to bring you useful Android tips in my FB updates. You can subscribe to my public updates & #askpummkin any questions pertaining to how you can maximise the productivity of your Samsung smartphones. May the Note II set the standard for stylus-driven smartphones in time to come!

I don’t write about mundane things. I don’t think you would want to read about what I do when I wake up as much as what I wake up in & with whom. Wouldn’t that stir your curiosity? ;) 

I spend much of my time outdoors because I can’t see myself getting fat & lazy as writers tend to sit too long to conjure up stories about their subjects when they have no experience to write about. I know of journalists whom instead of following the scene to get news, they would get actors to fake a scene  to make news, but that’s about as far reaching up (or down) the corporate ladder as their standards go. Just don’t believe everything that you read until you verify the facts for yourself. 

Just about anybody who writes a blog is considered a blogger nowadays but what do you actually blog about that details you as a person & most of all, an individual? Why do you read other people’s blogs? What do you hope to get out of reading someone’s blog or by following them? How do you position yourself as an individual? When I started blogging in late 2004, it was a way of expressing what I couldn’t in my work or professional assignments, things that God had led me to do & the encounters with different kinds of people in my life. I detailed my early pageantry participation in a post that made lighthearted sense into a piece that anyone can identify with. When you have skills & use them, looks become secondary to intelligence because over time, beauty fades but your wit will grow with you. Am I afraid of growing old? Well, I’m only afraid of what growing old might prevent me from doing, all my outdoor pursuits in the same vigour that produces my work for you. 

Encounters with caustic people have taught me to know the great disparity between class & crass. I hardly contend with psychopaths for the violent social behaviour that they demonstrate causes me to feel great pity upon them for the life that they can’t have. There are those who are deprived of attention when they lash out on others & that’s entirely their prerogative if they want to be known that way. They are of no consequence to the life I lead & the people who are around me. And I continue producing pieces to engage as much as you want to be engaged. 

If you blog, please remember that your blog is entirely an expression of who you are, what you do & what you deem to represent so when you spew scum or what I would call a solemn utterance with the intention to invoke supernatural powers to inflict harm on anyone, you are indeed, asking for it to be reflected back to you. I firmly believe in Genesis 12:3 as it results from what is said in Proverbs 26:1-3. If you happen to be a person of credence & what you blog about interests the world, people would flock to read about what you have to say but if all you produce is negativity, you will attract all that you deserve, whatever that may be. 

When I’m not writing for my clients, I tweet about life & challenges. I engage people & disengage small minds. I activate what is known as a connection with people, to inspire & rouse them to think on a different level. And I spend a great deal of time looking for God’s marvellous creation in the natural because I love nature & wildlife. I take pictures & videos of them. And I teach my friends to do the same. The simpler you are, the less complicated things will be & the longer you will live. I will not sweat the small stuff. I’m amazed by some of the lies people spin to bring others down. They have such energy to concoct them & coat them with malice to a point that their testimonies become INCREDIBLE. Sometimes it’s so funny to see how the plot is lost in the over-zealousness of such individuals claiming their territory like how animals mark their space with pee. 

Strangely, these are what draws you, as a reader, to my blog each time something happens. If you have come here to catch the latest, I’m promoting a crime prevention programme with NST-Cars Bikes Trucks, AAM & the Royal Malaysian Police in conjunction with Car of The Year (COTY) 2012 happening in November. It’s a free course for women & spaces are limited to 300 only. You can sign up here or visit Venus on Wheels in Facebook. More about it on Monday.

Pink Bananas may sound odd from its recent emergence into the market but I have had them since 2008. Absolutely delicious, the creamy banana is sweet & has a milky taste to it, making it my favourite of all banana species. Found in Bukit Tinggi, Pahang, about an hour’s drive from Kuala Lumpur, these dusky rose coloured bananas look strangely coloured and may not appeal to banana lovers at first sight but definitely will at first bite.

Posting a picture of it on my Facebook timeline generated much contention with many insisting that I shared my loot while a few harassed me into getting some back for them. I came home with 10kg worth in bags for distribution to my banana-frantic friends. When it’s raw, it has a pinky rose coloured skin with greenish tinge but once ripe, the green turns yellow & the rose will turn red. I still like to call them Pink!

Go have some today. It’s alright to go bananas & turn pink!

This month, Tourism Selangor’s Food Hunt with Pummkin brings you a unique Penang dish of fried kuey teow with duck egg not found anywhere else within a 10km radius! I beg for you to prove me wrong because duck eggs seem to be a delicacy & rarity here. There’s a coffeeshop nearby where you can sit & savour your hot plate of kuey teow while they serve you your order of drinks. Nothing is better than a glass of iced milk tea for mid-morning brunch!

Patrick Kam, the vendor behind the tasty dishes, hails from Penang, hence, the Penang-styled Fried Kuey Teow & authentically so with the addition of duck egg instead of the norm. The plate of fluffy kuey teow has big prawns, clams, bean sprouts & fish cake slices to complement the tasty egg. Patrick thrives in finding out how you like yours done so drop by, tell him you read about him in Pummkin’s Pitch & he’ll throw in extra goodies in your plate of kuey teow! I ordered mine with ”˜tor tor hum’ (plenty of see-ham/clams). Watch the video below to see how it was prepared!

Patrick at work!

The tasty plate of char kuey teow!

The coffeeshop.


Screenshot of map in Google Maps.

To get there, use these GPS coordinates or look for Jalan Bandar 1:- N3? 12.555 E101? 45.085

Patrick’s stall is open from 7am – 2pm.

In all of the events, I always get to enjoy the delicious Indian food served & that night was particularly good because the catering had a whole roast lamb & a huge fish on the platter. This just means that I would have to cycle an additional 10km each time & take a different route home to work off the weight to allow me more for each function!

Taken with my host, the Indian High Commissioner His Excellency Mr. Vijay Gokhale.

On the home front, I spent Merdeka Eve (30 August) cycling to Merdeka Square & back, had supper with a group of people & headed home at 3am only to wake up at 7:30am to get ready to cycle to Petaling Street for the Merdeka Festival 2012 where I bade farewell to Yook Woo Hin Restaurant with my last order for the century. They closed after lunch on 31 August, to make way for the MRT project. This was the dim sum place that my grandpa & parents brought me to as a kid & I sat there reminiscing my childhood as I waited for my lunch for more than an hour. The hive of activity came to a halt when patrons finished up & vacated the restaurant. I was all morose & upset. Upset because I couldn’t come here anymore to savour their morning dimsum & morose because it was a childhood experience.

Truly, the last order……
Thanks to Victor Chin, the renown artist of heritage buildings, who informed me about the event, I was able to make time to be a part of this festival of saying goodbye. I took a photograph with Madam Mooi, the daughter in law of the founder of the restaurant after chatting with her. She’s 82 years old! After circumventing the place with Aziz, Yoo Yee, a China Press journalist whom we met there & Felix who cycled all the way from Wangsa Maju, I was ready to go home. After 55 years of independence, I really wonder what we will achieved by removing heritage businesses & buildings……..

There are bags & there are fannies! I’m so honoured for this privilege of being the bag ambassador of our homegrown, Greenroom 136, a funky waterproof bike bag that is named after my birding reputation as the Wannabe. Patrick Lim, (not my dad but a rather younger & more dashing version) the founder, had toyed with the idea of launching a series that serves commuters like us to protect our belongings from the sudden onset of rain & hail. When he did & came up with the range, I was so proud to advocate this range for him! And liking waterfalls is one of the reasons why I would prefer to use waterproof bags to hold my belongings when I cycle any day.

Built in a tough 1000 denier Cordura outer shell, the Wannabie is a combination of solid vinyl and 420 denier ripstop, that would take whatever sprays the sky or FRU trucks throw at you. It’s especially handy for a quick grab of power gel stowed in one of its compartments with my phone in the main. Hanging on the handlebar of my Oriptimus Prime (my foldie that acts like a Transformer!), my Wannabie can pack in an emergency tool, additional blinkers in addition to my chunky Galaxy Note. The bag looks great on my classic foldie too!

In July, I was charmed (conned) into cycling a 54km round journey to Chenderiang Falls by friends. We headed to Kampar & then cycled from the train station to the huge waterfalls, making plenty of stops as I pedalled along. I had a push from Ronnie on my uphill leg while CK took my panniers after I got too ambitious carrying rations……like toys for the waterfalls. Dr. Ang kept me company for 10km & then we reached the falls. The entire ride was hilarious when I accepted a ”˜tow’ from a motorcyclist, hand in hand, pulling me for 2km to the chargrin of the rest of the riders who were waiting for me at a junction only to hop off their foldies to take a stance ready to snap pictures of me getting a ”˜ride!’ Brilliant! He came back to offer me a huge durian later too! Perhaps Patrick could come up with surprise packs for offerings-of-such along my rides. I never know whom or what I could pick up next time……

I made it……I made it….!


Soaking is the order of the day after a hot ride…..


Chenderiang Falls as seen from the PLUS NKVE (highway)

The fannies are great. I have the Manny reserved for when I bring my bigger camera. Anything can fail you but the bag that keeps your belongings safe, shouldn’t. 54km was my breakthrough on my foldie (minus 2km of being towed) & I believe in staying fit to let me enjoy all my outdoor pursuits anytime. And my Wannabie lived up to it. Get yours now!

Wannabie
I have a fanny, Whose name is Wannabie,
She’s none the ordinary,
But a brimful of joyous life and unpredictability.
Always the eager beaver to seize the mind,
Some know her as one kind, A wildchild none the other,
Always random that’s how we love her.
I have a fanny,
It’s my Wannabie!

Beside this shop is Wo Jia Restaurant & I ordered their special Rice Wine Mee Sua, vermicelli noodles in rice wine soup served with an egg poached inside. It was absolutely divine as the wine in the hot soup brought out the flavour of the vermicelli & egg. My friend ordered a Pumpkin Pan Mee, hand-pinched noodle with pumpkin in soup.

This row of shoplot is located near the bus stop & parallel to a huge monsoon drain. Perhaps the authorities should look into beautifying the area that hosts delectable street food along this entire row of shops. The outdoor seating beneath the big trees is quite a pleasant experience. We forget that when we live in & around concrete jungles. I got the shopkeeper to relate his thoughts to my friend who could speak Mandarin so if you speak the language too, do watch the video!!!

Banting Butter Brew is in a shoplot called Sin Guan Huat & right beside it is Wo Jia Restaurant. My entire meal for two only costs less than RM15.00. Unbelievable but true. You have got to try it yourself to see what value you are getting. You can find them on Foursquare or at the coordinates here:- N2.810275, E101.502419. Make this your definite stopover as the trade of his butter brew is dying since his son has indicated no interest in continuing his business. The very few heritage trades of Hainanese left in Selangor”¦”¦

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If visiting a UNESCO World Heritage Site is on your list to do when you visit Eqypt, then make a trip to St. Catherine’s monastery & catch a glimpse of Moses’ burning bush & the well of his destiny at Mount Sinai! It’s located a few hours away by road from Sharm El-Sheikh. We got off on foot after trailing across mountain ranges to get to St. Katherine city to see the place where Moses purportedly met with God.

Opposite the monastery….

The view on the road to the mountain was breathtaking to say the least, I was blown away by the terrain & vastness of the dry desert. It was in December when I visited Sharm El-Sheikh & it was a good 10?C. Reaching 1500m above sea level, we got down to walk the rest of the way to the monastery from the parking area. I had to climb a monstrous mountain to take a picture of the monastery! In my Crocs!

At the base of the rocky range, vendors sell their wares along a row of little shops. It’s interesting to see & not be able to buy as I’m already over-weighted with all that I had to bring on my journey to Sharm El-Sheikh. The drive kept me in awe & seeing the size of the ranges up close truly made me marvel at what God can do. We went inside the monastery but many areas were cordoned off, sparking my curiosity to break in ala Tomb Raider style. I wasn’t dressed for the part neither did I have my cloak of boldness worn when I went pass the fortress. Still, I’m sure I would have headed straight for the kitchen if I were allowed to roam.

My fascination for animals & especially animals I hadn’t seen before, was quite apparent judging by the expressions I got from my subject & the people around me. This camel was rather cautious as I pointed my camera at him. And camels sleep with their entire neck & head lying on the ground! I also learnt that walking on these pebbly & sandy ground is rather uncomfortable. Be sure you have the right kind of shoes when traversing hard terrains & wear socks to cushion impact. Wearing a hat helps & be sure to have polarised sunnies.

I flew to Sharm El-Sheikh with Emirates Air with one stopover in Jordan. Once you have your ground arrangements taken care of, getting there is a breeze with the many airlines that fly to Sharm El-Sheikh.

The monastery is Orthodox and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. According to the UNESCO report, this monastery is one of the oldest working Christian monasteries in the world together with the Monastery of Saint Anthony, situated across the Red Sea in the desert south of Cairo, which also lays claim to that title.

Led by the sound of ice being shaved, I drew near to where a stall sits underneath a huge ficus tree. A Vespa, two dogs lazing & a man was sitting at the table beside the stall. This man runs both the stall & the passionfruit farm behind it. The look of curiosity on our faces paid off, as my girlfriend & I were invited to see how this unique fruit is planted & harvested. The tendrils of the passionfruit plants climb the trellises that Mr. Khor had built & his two runners (dogs) aptly named ”˜Pai Xiang Kuo’ (Passionfruit in Chinese) & ”˜Sen Qi Kuo’ (Miracle Fruit) watch over them with great interest. The fruit starts out green & ripens to a rose pink hue that is ready to eat. He was cutting fruits for us as he gave us a tour! Yummy…..

The name “Passion” in “passion flower” refers to the passion of Christ. The name was given by missionaries because the parts of the flower seemed reminiscent of the torture (the Passion) of Christ prior to his crucifixion.

• The tendrils represent the whips used in the flagellation of Christ.
• The ten petals and sepals represent the ten faithful apostles (excluding St. Peter the denier and Judas Iscariot the betrayer).
• The flower’s radial filaments, which can number more than a hundred and vary from flower to flower, represent the crown of thorns.
• The 3 stigmas represent the 3 nails and the 5 anthers below them the 5 wounds (four by the nails and one by the lance).

Very interesting discovery even though I feel that the 12 apostles should always remain as twelve because after Jesus rose from the dead, He went to Peter & asked him if he loved Jesus, 3 times, in a manner that would allow Peter who had denied Christ 3 times, to redeem himself & be restored by Jesus. The symbolism of this flower that bears such a marvellous tasting fruit is truly great! The flower is not to be an object of worship neither should it be idolised. God made all things good for mankind & passionfruit happens to be exceptionally delicious!

Pai Xiang Kuo

Sen Qi Kuo

We ordered a cup of ice-blended passionfruit puree & it was the best drink I’ve ever had! The fresh, tangy & sweet fruit was the best thirst quencher for the afternoon stroll. You can take home some passionfruits at RM12 per kilogram or RM3.50 per cup of ice blended goodness. I should’ve bought 2 kilos. Escorted out by Pai Xiang Kuo & Sen Qi Kuo, I thanked Mr. Khor for taking us on a tour of his farm while explaining how the plant flourishes as the good leaves are pruned.

Watch the video here!

Mr. Khor’s bonding session with Pai Xiang Kuo who seemed to enjoy these moments with his master!

You can reach Mr. Khor at +6019-3776616 to make appointment for a visit to his farm or his stall at Qinren Qiao Fruits Farming at No. 19. Jalan Bawal 12, Taman Mutiara, 42800 Tanjung Sepat, Selangor. Bring a treat for Pai Xiang Kuo & Sen Qi Kuo when you visit!

GPS Coordinates:- N2.657982, E101.556631

A group of guest chefs from across the globe has been flown in for their wealth of experience in their specialty. Chef Ebrahim Mohd brings 25 years of experience in Arabic delicacies all the way from Damascus, Syria. He will whip up Middle Eastern foo, which is a complex and spice driven cuisine, using black pepper, garlic, cinnamon, clove, cumin and coriander to create a delightful mix of meat based dishes, with lamb and mutton being the most popular. He’s preparing a selection of his specialty grilled meats, kebabs, and koftas throughout the celebration along with another Middle Eastern favourite, Hummus, a dip or spread eaten with pita bread made from cooked and mashed chickpeas, blended with tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and garlic which origins date back to ancient Egypt.

Chef Ebrahim

Our Indian guest chef is Santosh Chaniyal who hails from Nainitaal, India and specialises in Mughlai cooking, a cuisine with a rich history dating back to the 16th century kitchens of the Mughal Emperors who occupied Northern India. Influenced by a mixture of Indian, Persian and Middle Eastern cuisine, Mughlai cuisine uses ingredients like exotic aromatic spices, nuts, raisins, cream, yoghurt and milk to create rich and spicy dishes with a unique aroma. With a considerable influence from Muslim cooking, this cuisine is absolutely not to be missed. It’s almost like bringing India to Malaysia & is my personal favourite.

Chef Santosh will be bringing a collection of his favourite recipes to town for our special guests to enjoy; for a special and unique taste, try the Kashmiri Rogan Josh made with goat or lamb meat cooked with intensely fragrant spices that deliver a mild and rewarding curry. Another dish that should not be missed is the Chicken Biryani. This dish is particularly known for its many layers of flavours and is cooked over a longer period of time to allow the flavours to blend together. The spices used in making the dish are typically not used in everyday cooking, making it a very special dish for guests of Kites Restaurant to sample. Another must try item will be the Jhinga Til Tinka; King prawns marinated with fresh aromatic spices, dipped in a butter made from eggs, green chillies, ginger, garlic & cardamom and cooked with breadcrumbs and sesame seeds. Dum Ka Murgh is another special and popular dish, generally eaten with roti or paratha that uses yoghurt and exotic spices to create a rich and complex meal.

Chef Santosh

Vegetarians will love to try Quasar-E-Pukhtan, otherwise known as Shahi Paneer. With the name embodying royalty, this dish is fit for kings and is made with the richest of ingredients available. One should not miss out on other vegetarian dishes such as Tarkari Tawa Masala, Dal Bukhar, Dal Dhabe Wali. Other items on the Mughlai menu are Biryani (Gosht ,Murgh , Jhinga), Qurma-E-Firdaus (Hyderabadi Muttom qurma), Khade Masale Ka Gosht, Mahi Sarsom Wali, Tawa-E-Jalpari, and Avadhi Gulnar pari.

One of the other delights that one can expect at the Ramadhan feast is brought to you by Chef Charles Huang from Zhengzhou, China. His special talent, to prepare hand pulled noodle is a complex craft that produces a wonderful spectacle, and just as importantly, incredible noodles. Made from plain dough that requires incredible dexterity to transform them into beautiful noodles, they are fascinating to watch being created by our food artist Chef Charles Huang as he works feverishly to twist the dough then stretches them delicately by waving the arms and body. Next, the dough is untwisted, looped to double the strands, and then repeated. When stretching, these highly skilled chefs coordinate waving their torso and arms to increase the potential length of the noodle beyond that of the puller’s arm span.

Chef Huang is bringing other Chinese Muslim cuisine delicacies such as mutton noodles, mushroom and chicken noodles, homemade mutton soup, steamed buns and pan-fried egg dumplings during the Puasa month.

Apart from the specialties on offer from our three special guest chefs, Kites restaurant will be maintaining the many popular dishes that were so well received last year. Some of the popular dishes making a comeback this year will be Gearbox Soup – braised beef knee together with a traditional mix of spices, served with condiments such as fried shallots and fresh lime. When mentioning the hot and popular dishes from last year we must mention the Kambing Mamak, a spicy and fragrant lamb curry. This special (and secret!) recipe is one that you won’t get any other day as Executive Chef, Francis Lau has kept this dish only for the Ramadhan celebration.
If you have any room left, why not try our resident Malay Cuisine expert Chef Haniff’s signature dish ”“ Udang Galah Masak Kalio, king prawns cooked in coconut milk with chili padi (chili), lemon grass and turmeric leaves.

Chef Haniff

Other Specialty Dishes:

Gulai Ikan Sembilang Tempoyak
Catfish braised with fermented durian paste which is then cooked using turmeric leaves and other spices. The specialty of the states of Pahang and Perak.

Tulang Rawan Masak Lemak Cili Api
Short rib braised with turmeric leaves chili and coconut milk

Other items include Mutton Varuve, Udang Galah Masak Kalio, Pucuk Paku Masak Lemak, Kum Heong Fried Squid, Daging Rendang, Kambing Kurma, Ayam Percik Sri Menanti, Minced Chicken Patties with Scallops Sambal, along with authentic Malay desserts to complete your dining experience.

This year our remarkable buffet will be extended to the poolside and Gazebo, adjacent to Kites Restaurant which will be decorated into a setting of a conventional Ramadhan feast combined with a contemporary backdrop. At Holiday Inn Kuala Lumpur Glenmarie you can break your fast under the evening sky, decorated with black canopies and a myriad of food stalls. There will be areas designated for the Mughlai, the Arabic and the Chinese-Muslim cuisines alongside the lavish Malay buffet inside the Kites Restaurant.

The buffet dinner at Kites is priced at RM 94++ for adults while for children and senior citizens it is priced at RM 55++. There is a special price from 18th ”“ 24th July where the buffet dinner is priced at RM 84++ for adults and RM 45++ for children and senior citizens.

The hotel also accepts group or company bookings for ”˜Buka Puasa’. Surau facilities with an ”˜Imam’ for ”˜Sembahyang’ are available at the hotel.

Book early before 10 July for substantial discounts – terms and conditions apply.
For booking and reservations please call +603- 7802 524 (9am ”“ 5pm) and +603- 7802 5200 (after 5 pm) or email them at ramadhan@holidayinnkl.com.my

Daddy is second from left, Tunku beside him & Lee Kuan Yew on Tunku’s left.

Daddy’s avid hunting pursuits brought home all kinds of game meat. In my lifetime, I’ve had wild boar, venison, pigeons, flying foxes & even an owl when he heard that it would cure my whooping cough. For some strange reason, it did. What I didn’t know was that he used to go hunting with the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong (The King) too. Dad, you sure shot me some royal pigeons there! How I wish you had brought me along to the hunt with you! You’re super cool, you know! Royal pigeons…….the only thing I’d come close to eating anything royal nowadays is royal jelly. I miss you dad.

In all those times you had represented the country in your pursuit of excellence, you demonstrated your sportsmanship by doing your best, staying in practice even if it meant footing everything yourself because the country didn’t have sponsorship programmes then. Following you to the gun club meant that I got to disturb the admin staff & watch them polish shotguns. And what a highlight it was when you won medals in competitions!

Well, it’s exactly 7 years since you went home to the Lord. I still remember receiving the phone call while I was having my ISO Standards meeting at SIRIM. How fast time flies. And I’m so glad you are playing golf in heaven today. I wish I could play with you one day, daddy. I’m sure I would look as good as you in golf attire too. Hey, wait…..I have your smile, daddy!!! ?

Dad with the King! Beside the King is Dad’s cousin, Uncle Pow Thong.

Tender pork ribs that simmer in a bowl of herbal soup make the best meal on a cool, breezy night in Old Town, Petaling Jaya. Popularly known in its Hokkien term called ”˜Bak Kut Teh’ which translates to ”˜meat bone tea’ in reference to the pork ribs used, the generous sprinkles of star anise, cinnamon, cloves, tong kwai, fennel seeds and garlic are just some of the spices & herbs used to make this tasty soup that forms the ”˜tea’ in this dish.

Panorama photo of the place from outside.

Light and dark soy sauce are also added to the soup depending on whether you are patronising a Teochew or a Hokkien-inspired style of preparation. Arriving at Ming Kee Bak Kut Teh with my cousin Damien & his associate, Ruben, we ordered the usual fare of ribs & meat, mushroom & tofu puffs side dishes, choy sum (vegetables) to go with rice. There are tables on the inside of the coffeeshop & outside in the open, enabling us to have dinner under the stars on that cool night. For Klang Vlley residents, this place is easily accessible without the hassle of going to far for a delicious meal of soupy goodness! The soup has been cooked to the right consistency with the infused herbs, complementing the ribs & side dishes. You will come away with a very good feeling in your tummy.

Located at the junction of Jalan Othman & Jalan 1/21, this corner lot Chinese coffeeshop is where Ming Kee Bak Kut Teh sits.
GPS Coordinates is at N03.086544, E101.64614

Tofu/beancurd puff!

Choy sum!


Aunty preparing the dishes.

The interior.

Our dinner!

This is another entry for Selangorlicious contest! Please vote for me & leave a comment here! :- http://bit.ly/OtbcOc

Footnote:- Selangorlicious has a personalised purpose for me.

The Canine Advisory Team (CAT) meeting started with a minute of silence in honour of our departed friend, Sabrina Yeap, who had demonstrated love & compassion towards abandoned & unwanted dogs & cats in her 22 years of service in animal welfare organisations. The team is chaired by Anthony Thanasayan, the councillor in MBPJ who champions causes for the disabled community as well as founding an animal welfare group to train dogs for animal-assisted therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association.

32 members of the team were invited to attend the meeting from all over Selangor on Monday 23 July, at 2:30pm, comprising of councillors from various municipalities, DVS (Department of Veterinary Services) and non-governmental organisations such as SPCA, MIAR (Malaysian Independent Animal Rescue), MKA, MSAVA (Malaysian Small Animals Veterinary Association) & Pet Positive. The chairperson set the tone for the session that followed by giving every party an opportunity to air their views including objections.

We addressed issues of gazetting dog parks in existing parks to enable dog owners to have recreation time with their beloved animals. Noting that almost all public parks are off-limits to dogs, the team endeavoured to look into the sensitivities of other cultures such as the majority of Muslims in the country who are averse to dogs & how best to educate the public in responsibly managing their pets when outdoors. Dr. Fazillah of DVS was very supportive of the proposed plan & even noted that she grew up with 8 dogs when her father was managing an estate then. She is now a veterinarian & she’s a Muslim. Her input has enlightened many who were present at the meeting & everything had to start with awareness & education.

Another effort the team is looking into is the setting up of spay clinics with subsidised rates for spaying/neutering of strays brought in by the public. We even discussed the possibilities of involving the public in adopting strays in their community, a classification of stray dogs that Dr. Fazillah calls, ”˜community dogs.’ Being all for the idea of ”˜catch, neuter & release,’ the team was made to understand that when dogs are removed from a place, other strays dogs will come in to occupy the void. Better to have dogs you know & are familiar with than dogs you don’t know/are not familiar with. The purpose is to help curb the stray population & prevent unnecessary proliferation of strays.

The team also addressed campaigns to promote responsible ownership of dogs & recognising independent rescuers from the public to work with. The meeting gained momentum when all NGO’s gave their views in support of ideas proposed. We came away knowing what we can look forward to achieving.

I am optimistic that we will finally get somewhere with Anthony being at the helm as soon as he was reinstated after an irrational, multiple personalities newswoman abused her position to campaign for his removal from the council. To think that this monumental effort of CAT that started in 2008 by Anthony himself was suspended, halted & possibly ended just so that one person gets her revenge is absolutely unthinkable. God has restored his authority & I hope he gets vindicated too. By the way, Anthony is a disabled person & his optimism & focus is not on himself but on how he can be of assistance to those who need it.

Unfortunately in this country, in the world of dogs & their fanatical lovers, there is no reasoning, rationale, logic nor sensibility when they resort to hounding & harassment of individuals who are opposed to certain practices or those who have the discernment & knowledge to unearth their dirty tactics of appealing to public’s sympathies in their endeavour to get funding. In their desperation to defend their territories like dogs who pee to mark their boundaries, they will go on a rampage like rabid dogs to discredit & disparage anyone who exposes them. There is no vaccine for people with behavioural issues & they can only go as far as their bark. I certainly hope they seek professional help before they spread their contagious convulsions to their ignorant pack of sidekicks.

Swearing-In ceremony with Menteri Besar

Anthony taking a snapshot with me.

Her grit saw her through the many dire situations that Sabrina Yeap encountered in her lifetime. The lives of those furry friends she found on the street, rescued from chains or cages in abandonment, in the drains & ditches and even in mangrove swamps. Sabrina Yeap always had room for one more dog in her farm no matter what her detractors say. And her detractors are simply just that. Sabrina was born, her parents died & her relatives took everything then dumped her at an orphanage. She knew too well what it’s like being abandoned. She never had a normal childhood, yet the love for dogs emanated from within the tiny frame that held her gentle soul, kept her close with the animals that she devoted her life to raising, caring & protecting. She spent 15 years working in SPCA as an Animal Inspector, then under the leadership of (Max) Ian Wheatley who founded the society in 1958. I met her a few years before Mr. Wheatley died when I volunteered at the society. 

Holding Cleo, one of the rescued dogs of Pulau Selat Kering.

Sabrina investigated every case of cruelty reported & she worked together with the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) to prosecute perpetrators in court right up to 2005. In that time I’ve known her, she always had the welfare of the animals first. She would climb out of the trucks with dogs trapped & the look of triumph on her face told me that she had rescued another cruelty case. My task was merely to feed the difficult dogs their medication but seeing her return with a casualty was like watching CSI solve a case.

Our ties formed when I began travelling, and very often I had to leave my dog with her in her house where she boarded pets as a side income to supplement her low income from the shelter. She did odd jobs like bathing dogs kept by the affluent for RM10 each, which some might think is a lowly job when in fact, she had enjoyed every minute of the bonding sessions with them. She got closer to the animals that she was entrusted with, and very soon, my dog too, started to listen to her command.

In safe hands!

She had always spent her money on the dogs’ welfare & never for herself. The money belt grew tighter after she left SPCA & eventually started her own no-kill policy shelter with 10 dogs in 2006,  giving tuition classes to earn a living. With a meagre income, she started an adoption programme where people could sponsor a dog for life at RM30 per month. She rented an area to keep these dogs, driving to & fro Kundang to prepare food for them & feed them. When more people got to know her plight upon recognising her exemplary work in SPCA, they begin to give her a helping hand. She built Furry Friends Farm to what it is today with sheer dedication, hard work & determination to give dogs (and cats, goats, rabbits) a sanctuary for their dog days. She gave talks in international schools on responsible dog ownership & had awareness campaigns in exhibitions & expos in the Klang Valley. She ate very little & made sure her furkids ate a lot. By the time she rescued & helped 100 dogs, she knew she had the capacity to take in more. The dogs were jolly, charming every visitor & hounding those who had treats in the pocket as soon as they stepped through the gate. She knew each dog by name & they knew her by her voice. The dogs would be scampering home if they had escaped through cracks in the fencing, much like a kid caught for staying out too long. She could even tell me all their traits as I sit down in the centre of all her most laid-back snoozers. Dr. Jill Robinson of Animals Asia Foundation, appointed Sabrina to be the executor of the Dr. Dog Programme in 2007 & have since raised eight Dr. Dog Ambassadors.

Picking up Hope at the vet one morning in Kepong.

Sabrina had a quiet demeanour but with a kind of assertiveness that made her the matriarch of the troop, subduing even the most aggressive of males in the pack. She would get herself dirty to rescue a stranded pup & risk her life to reach out to an injured dog. She ferried each dog to the vet & would collect the ones which were already treated, in her little Kancil. Her relentless effort for animal welfare made her a champion for the causes she stood up for, including the Pulau Ketam dog dumping incident in 2009 that garnered international attention.(More on that rescue in the RESCUE category). In that mission, 29 stray dogs were rescued, now living in the farm. Its no wonder those who know her would feel protective of her. She had many friends, some stayed away from the overzealous & territorial volunteers she seemed to attract & helped in a distance. Having spent years communicating with her, we know what she held close to her heart & what she wanted most for the animals. We have lost a selfless saint of neglected dogs & cats on 17 July 2012. May she be reunited with the lives of her furry friends who had gone on before her to the other side of the Rainbow Bridge.

Sabrina kissing Jerry, the snoozer, at FFF.

At the kelong near Pulau Selat Kering, Klang

Furry Friends Farm will be managed by her current pool of volunteers & if you would like to pay your last respects, the wake is at Nirvana Memorial Centre, No. 1, Jalan 1/116A off Jalan Sg. Besi, KL. Funeral Parlor No.13 (Rose). Funeral Service:- Friday, 20 July, 10am Shah Alam Crematorium (Nirvana)

Group photo of the rescuers.

Mee Goreng is a local favourite fried noodle dish, usually garnished with sprigs of beansprouts, strips of carrots, leafy vegetables & diced chicken with soy sauce seasoning but at Hamid Mee Rebus Penang, the authentic Penang-styled Mee Goreng is the standard thoroughfare seasoned with pasembur (rojak) sauce, tauhu (beancurd) & kelapa rojak (coconut condiment)!

When Dian brought me to Taman Melawati, we were hunting for bookbinding supplies & she recommended me to have this awesome Mee Goreng for tea break. A business operated by mother & son, the Mee Goreng had potatoes, tauhu (beancurd), kelapa rojak (coconut condiment), beansprouts, shaved shallots, half a lime & lots of goodies! As I watched Aunty Zainab in action, she put in what she had from the pots of sauces that she had prepared. Watch how she tosses the noodles in the whole frying process in the video included!

The exterior is lined with a row of other food vendors, and being slightly elevated from the street, you would miss it if you hadn’t known what goodness laid within. The last stall by the roadside, Hamid Mee Rebus Penang serves both Mee Rebus (Noodles in Hot Sauce) & Mee Goreng plus drinks to quench your thirst. A panorama picture is included for your reference & a map to help you find it in Taman Melawati. You should look for it under Google Maps or Foursquare to conveniently navigate yourself over for a tasty, sizzling hot plate of Mee Goreng Rojak at Hamid & Zainab’s stall!

Footnote:- Selangorlicious has a personalised purpose for me.

Selangorlicious is a contest & I’m in the running! Please vote for this entry on this page -> http://bit.ly/N71G0O

Salivate, if you must but if you are not tantalised by the subject that I’d be bringing you over the next 2 weeks, you are missing out on life. Not your usual go-to-be-seen food joints, the stalls & eateries are run by folks with legacies. Evident in their coarse hands & years of toil on their faces, these vendors you have patronised over the years have given their daughters dance lessons, tuition for the boys & the little pleasures in life to substitute for the time spent earning a living. These are the vendors who go to the market in the wee hours of the morning to get the freshest supply of ingredients to whip up a good bowl of something for you. These are your neighbourhood familiars who recognise your eating preferences & know your favourite drink. Join me as I search for gastronomical joints that have closely-guarded recipés kept for generations. As they stir up their best, let’s give them mores reasons to stay in business for two generations more!

My quest in the Selangorlicious entries would be to show you fuss-free eateries, unpretentious settings that serve street food & to appreciate them like a true Malaysian, you need to discard all uppity to come in your most comfy attire to savour whats served. I appreciate your Armani’s or Versacé’s when you’re out with me but I’d rather you not mess up your fine threads & slurp as loudly as you like when you are at it.

Exmouth Escape Resort.

Thomas Carter Lookout

The 50,581 hectares park is just 40km from Exmouth. We drove here upon spending 3 days at Coral Bay & another 4 days at Exmouth Escape Resort. I saw some big red kangaroos here & stalked an emu for a picture!

According to what’s on record, ’in ancient times the range was isolated as an island as rising sea levels inundated lower lying areas. As a result of this geographic isolation there are some species of plants and animals that are endemic to the area, including the red centred variety of the Sturt Desert Pea. Surveys have recorded over 630 species of flowering plants on the peninsula of Cape Range National Park. This is a surprisingly high number for an arid limestone area. Over 700 caves are catalogued in the area and it is likely that many remain undiscovered. There are numerous gorges and sanctuary areas that provide a haven for wildlife and contain often rare and unusual flora. A beautiful array of wildflowers can be seen in late winter including Sturt Desert Peas and the beautiful Bird Flower.’

I went on the Top of The Range tour of the Cape Range National Park to see the beautiful natural surroundings. Dave of Ningaloo Safari Tours, gave a brilliant commentary on the history & origins of this place, as he drove the 4WD over the ridges that overlooks the canyon below. The rock formations & caves in the area were a sight to behold. If I wasn’t taking photos of the rocks or the scene, I was looking out for unusual plants & fossils on the ground. Our first meander was through Charles Knife Gorge. We stopped for morning tea & fresh fruit cake on top of the ridge before continuing the journey to Milyering Visitor’s Centre. You can find interpretive displays, audio-visual facilities and a library containing a wealth of information on the National and Marine Parks to help visitors appreciate the natural environment.

Here, I bought some souvenirs & Torri Bottroff, the lady at the souvenir shop counter, suggested that I go for the patches & some stickers to commemorate my trip upon telling her where I was from. And I did just that! Thank you, Torri! It was a delight to have met you!

We headed to Osprey Bay for a swim in the crystal clear warm sea & it was simply refreshing after the ride. Dave & his family who joined us in a separate car, prepared a delicious lunch of fresh prawns & sandwich for us after the swim & we continued to Yardie Creek to see the Black Footed Rock Wallabies! The walk to the creek before boarding the boat yielded some great fossil finds! According to Exmouth Visitor’s Centre, ”˜Centuries of erosion have formed a spectacular multi-coloured gorge. Hidden within the safety of the gorge walls is a colony of black-footed rock wallabies. Yardie is the only gorge in the area with permanent water however this is salt water fed from the ocean. This interesting ecosystem has mangrove areas that provide roosting sites for many bird species while the sheltered waters are a sanctuary for many marine animals. The beginnings of the gorge are deep in the limestone range. These timid creatures seek shelter on ledges along the gorge walls resting during daylight hours, coming out to feed in the cool of the night. There is a relatively easy walking trail along the top of the northern wall of the gorge or you can join a boat cruise through its cool depths.’ Definitely not to be missed.

Yardie Creek.

By evening, we headed towards Turquoise Bay & Ningaloo Marine Park, our last stop was Vlamingh Head Lighthouse. The moon had risen in the horizon & after the long ride, it was good to unwind with a glass of wine over dinner at Novotel Ningaloo Resort Exmouth to end our evening. To get to Exmouth, get your flights to Australia & land in Perth. Then fly to Exmouth in the North West.

The corals in the surrounding reef was amazing. Sunlight penetrated to more than 20m depth & with the help of strobes, I brought out the colours of the soft corals as we inched along towards the sunken cargo.

There wasn’t a shark in sight. I was hoping to encounter at least a reef shark & was geared to film my first oceanic shark but they just didn’t appear when I was there. I could even get close to a Sea Perch without it flinching while I pressed the shutter button.

Sea Perch.

The sight of bathtubs stacked together was quite nostalgic as my mind wandered to how I’d been raised taking herbal baths for all my ailments but to me, it was a time to frolic! Toilets & pipes were all over the place too, albeit encrusted with corals.

It was interesting to see what we sit on with our bottoms at the bottom of the ocean & this WC having great growth prospects gave me a new sense of respect for them!

An inverted WC!

This part of the cargo below has turned into a reef. Can you see the pipes & bathtub?

Visibility was near perfect!

Flying to Egypt was quite an experience. I flew UAE & had a stopover in Dubai. I will be planning another trip really soon as I’ve yet to see the SS Thistlegorm, sunk during World War Two. If you are planning a trip to the Red Sea, you can check out holidays to Egypt & request to dive with Diving & Discovery, awarded as the best dive centre in Sharm El-Sheikh!

Emergencies aside, I did find the time to board the KTM train to Klang for the Tourism Selangor Day Out on the 26 May 2012 for the Selangor Heritage Photo Trail & exhibition beneath the Klang City Bridge. Meeting Dian, Nigel, Hannah & David again was good as we explored a bit of the town to bring you the old charms of the place. David broke his leg when he jumped onto the boat fully kitted up & out of disbelief, I laughed out loud. I couldn’t believe it. Get well soon, David! LOL! Sorry, I always look at the brighter side of things, not laughing at your misfortune but at how it could happen to you!

We went into an old antique shop where I found an old pair of rollerskates amongst the knick-knacks that you won’t find anymore. There was an old ID card dated back in1894!

Old radios, photos of yesteryears & even a magazine with the dashing young P.Ramlee were for sale. (Pictures above were taken with the Samsung Galaxy S3.)

Taking a walk around the shops was interesting because we came by many florists that had many kinds of fake flowers for decoration.

The competition was launched by YB Elizabeth Wong, who was as usual, super punctual for the function.

The event drew many studios, photography buffs & models who were dramatically made up to don on the Mardi Gras costumes.

I never thought water meters were this artistic. I want the pink one…..where can I find it?

Seeing veteran citizens using the bridge with their classic bicycles brought back nostalgic past of this town. We hardly see any old folks using the bikes in Kuala Lumpur any more. I had to ask if it was ok for me to take a snapshot of him!

And I’m glad I got to be a part of this historical event under this bridge on that day, and was told that one of my photographs won the #TSDayOut Shot of The Day Competition! Thank you, Tourism Selangor!

All pictures here were taken using the Samsung NX200 unless stated otherwise.

Have you ever had a trip planned for you with sights & attractions that you want to see with culinary delights that you want to sink your teeth in, experiences that leave you inspired & places that scream to be explored? Roadtrip-a-Matic is a collection of well-planned itineraries in ready-to-ride roadtrips for visitors to Pennsylvania looking for outdoor experiences, small town charm, historic landmarks & learning about wineries on wine trails to distinguish the crisp-balanced whites from the full-bodied reds, shopping sprees, trailblazing in the wilderness & just about anything that sets you on a wanderlust is found here. 

I was instantly captivated by Pennsylvania’s Civil War Trails and Beyond. In wanting to be taken back to 1863 to understand the country’s greatest struggles that took place then, through towns, farms & fields that witnessed war first hand, I want to reenact what it was like when places like Wrightsville and Columbia gave all they had to keep the Confederate forces from crossing the river or at Hanover, where the streets were filled with battle and citizens saved the lives of others regardless of a uniform's colour. I would dress in the fashion of that era & make my commentaries in a video that would re-live the war that we are fortunate to have missed. I want to understand & document a piece of history that would forever etch in my chapter of things I must do while I’m alive. I would befriend someone who lives in the area & share that journey with him/her. Chien, my late best friend & travel partner told me that the best trips are those that you take with your GPS turned-off. And only now I do agree with him. With roadside markers, all I need to do is follow instructions to find the next stop. With the help of "Story Stops" and "Gateway Signs," I want to experience the Civil War through the eyes of sons and daughters who lived through it, set against the backdrop of Pennsylvania's picturesque Dutch Country Roads. 

This is one of pa-roadtrips that will take me to the National Civil War Museum in Harrisburg, the only museum in the country that lays out the entire-and unbiased-story of the Civil War amidst sweeping scenic views of the Susquehanna River valley.  After which, wandering through The Broad Street Market, founded in 1860, would give me the opportunity to chat with market vendors & have a cup of tea with the folks whom I will coax to share a piece of their history with me. I would ask them for to autograph on my travel logbook & have a picture taken with them to commemorate my trip with faces that emboss an eventful past in Pennsylvania. The historic A.M.E. Zion Church being one of the Underground Railroad stops, I want to stroll through Carlisle’s history of battle & skirmishes before heading to Chambersburg Heritage Centre to start my tour downtown. 

I could literally be in the same secret hotspot room of abolitionists in history! Going to jail may not be so bad considering the oldest jail in Pennsylvania was built in 1818, now a museum & genealogical library. The 4 day trip would be full of relics waiting to be discovered & all these are made possible with Roadtrip-a-Matic’s roadtrips. It tells me where to eat & where to spend my nights. It would be so awesome to wake up in a different place each day. 

If you haven’t planned or do not know where you should head to on your next vacation, check out this site, go to Pennsylvania & share with me what trip you want to go on! All you need to do is pack!

Handmade beaded silver bracelet

Wouldn’t it be awesome to be able to generate an income from doing something that you love, like creating beaded jewellery pieces? Owning a home based jewellery business is one of the best ways to bring in a little bit of extra money. These days, with the higher costs of living and the escalated gas prices, everyone is searching for a way to generate a little bit of spending money.

We all know how hard you work to create stunning pieces of jewellery, so why not make some money from your craft? Jewellery is always in high demand, and if it’s something you enjoy doing there is no shame behind using it to your advantage.

When starting a home business selling beaded jewellery, one of the first things you need to do is pick out a name for your business. Your businesses name will help customers identify your handmade jewellery creations from other pieces of jewellery that are presently being sold on the market.

Once you have a name for your business, the next thing you are going to want to do is market your homemade designs. Introduce your designed to local galleries and shops around your area that sell beaded pieces of jewellery. You will be astonished by the amount of people who will be interested in purchasing your designs.

The internet is also a great place to showcase some of your best work. There are tons of websites that are dedicated to beaded jewellery. In fact, there are some beginner jewellers that sell their designs on auction websites to generate some interest in their business. Even though you will not make a substantial amount of money selling your jewellery on auction sites, you will be able to generate a small supplemental income. Set up up an account in Etsy and Ebay and watch your business grow!

Owning a handmade beaded jewellery business can be a lucrative move. There are a lot of people that dream of owning a home business, but don’t know where to start. First, establish yourself in the craft world, and before you know it you will have tons of orders piling up. To get started, click here!

Who are the movers & shakers of the world, you think? Mothers, photojournalists, bloggers, movie-makers, scientists, captains of merchant ships, CEOs of banks & think tanks, ministry officials, rulers & leaders, of course! Not to mention those engineers who service aeroplanes & pilots who fly them. And professional builders & architects responsible for drawing up the city & beautifying landscapes! Yes, you are whom I’m writing for today & I hope it would assist your field as much as the phone has assisted mine.

The moment I powered up the phone, the Android intelligence prompted me to key in my Google credentials & before long, all the apps that I have ever owned in my current devices came flooding in without me having to fuss over the reinstallation of apps that I’m so used to on my current Android devices. The 1.4 GHz quad-core Cortex-A9 processor excelled the operation of any app including the most important function for me, which is the Camera. Virtually no shutter lag. Great for mothers wanting to snapshot fidgety kids at their most active moments or travellers who want to take mementoes of street performers on their tours without worrying if the camera’s settings are appropriate or designers wanting a snapshot of their work for reference to share with friends on Google+ & Facebook. The possibilities with the inbuilt camera are endless. You can be as trigger-happy as you want. With the industry’s standard of 1GB of RAM, the S3 runs on Ice Cream Sandwich version 4.0.3.

With the inception of S-Voice, you can use natural language commands and dictation to instruct the phone to wake up, effect a sentence & direct it to purpose a call or start an app or send a message to any one of your social media networking apps such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn & so on. First, you have to train the app to recognise your voice & your diction. You can choose to start S-Voice with ”˜Hi Galaxy’ or any other phrase you think is appropriate.  Use it to start any app or Google Navigation (when you are outside of Malaysia) by saying, ”˜Navigate to – <your destination>’ and a notice would pop up to turn GPS fix on followed by another saying that Google Navigation is not available in your country. Upon selecting ”˜start Google Maps,’ you will be presented with a list of plausible locations that match your chosen destination. Selecting on one will prompt it to give visual & written turn by turn directions from where you are to the place of your choice. Apart from this, there’s a very good reason for you to get to know this feature well & perfect it for self-protection. With the increase of crime towards women, rampant abduction & robbery, it would be good for you to command the phone to call an emergency number for help in the event you get into such situations. Program the phrase to something less likely to be suspicious, like ”˜I’m hungry’ in replacement of ”˜Hi Galaxy’ & ”˜Call for what?’ to dial an emergency number of a friend. If you ever get tied up & phone is in your pocket or handbag, this would be the situation to use it. What is technology for? This is truly a smartphone! Get one for yourself, your wife/girlfriend, your sister & your teenage daughter. You can send the women to me for classes on how to use the phone later.

Exploring further, the S-Suggest app does what is says, suggests apps for any kind of task. Here are the screenshots of suggestions given. I liked it for the Angry Birds Space that it suggested. How smart. It knows I’m a fan.

It took me awhile before I found out how to do a screenshot on the S3. By clenching your hand into a fist, use the base of the fist to run it along the screen to capture the screen, doing away with the previous method of pressing the power button & home button simultaneously on the S2. Taking videos & photos can be stored onto an external card in the MicroSD slot, memory can be expanded to 64Gb. Again, having a super fast processor cause everything to run with ease. Watching a HD movie is a breeze! You can even multitask to check your web browser or answer an incoming SMS without having to leave the movie! It supports playback for these formats:- MP4, DivX, XviD, WMV, H.264 & H.263. Playing music goes without saying. Standard fare for MP3, WAV, eAAC+, AC3 & FLAC for as long as you have enough juice to power your journey.

The virtual keyboard though small, is very responsive once you touch & type. The intelligent typing auto-corrects your spelling mistakes & lets you select the right word. Always check though. You wouldn’t want to be caught typing something else that’s not intended while communicating with your client as I have done in the past. With the removable 2,100mAH battery, you can spares or get a powerbank to charge your phone after a heavy day’s usage. The battery life is quite standard, with my apps running in the background such as 4 email accounts, Plume for Twitter, My Data Manager, News Republic & Facebook, a day’s work include updates to these apps & reply of emails on top of what the phone is designed for, accumulating to about 14 hours of life. As battery ages & have shorter life span, consider getting one spare & one powerbank.

I downloaded My Story from Samsung Apps & had fun writing stuff to send to friends with pictures appended to the ”˜letter-like’ note. For those who are expressive, this app is for you.

With Wifi Direct, you can transfer files wirelessly between devices with the same feature. I use it to beam pictures to my Asus Transformer 3G tablet or Macbook Pro for backup & if you have an On-The-Go USB cable, you can plug in a flash drive to transfer your files directly. Especially large video files. Here’s a sample that’s uploaded in high definition when I watched Alfred Ho in action. A blind singer, his immense talent in unparalleled & he’s available for engagement at dinners & corporate functions. You can reach him at +6016-6359800 & alfredho.music@gmail.com.

The downside is that it uses a micro SIM card which require you to cut your current SIM & keep an adapter handy should you wish to swap cards/phones. I’m skipping all technical jargon because it means very little to movers & shakers like yourselves as I prefer to bring your attention to what the phone is capable of. You can read through other bloggers’ reviews if you wish to get to know the technical bits of the Samsung Galaxy S3 a little bit more but I’d suggest you go to your favourite dealer & swipe that credit card of yours now to personalise what it can do for you. Happy gadgeting!

Photo taken by Jaz Khai at the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S3 on 24 May 2012.

We got on to a great start talking about the myriad of gadgets that I take on trips & what they were for. Our video camera recorded even instances of an alarm ringing in the background, something she picked up while I was totally oblivious to it. In the studios where the acoustics absorb sound & exude silence, Linora was probably more acute to buzzes & rings than I would have been. So we got on chatting. Then we went on air & did things behind the camera where no one could see. We were Facebook-ing & Tweeting!!! Muahahahahah! And swapping seats!

We talked about everything under the sun & where the moon can’t shine given that we had attended the same launch of the Vibrance Kegel Device. This is what girls get up to when they meet. Of course, we covered food topics, how can we not? We are Malaysians where we are predominantly filled with thoughts & suggestions of what to eat & how to eat it. The one hour on the show was really short considering how much we talked when the mic was off. Wait for the recording to be posted!

Here’s a shot of me behind the console!

Her own mic cover!

And then the super fit DJ herself in her red tresses & Macbook Pro!

Redhead!

Then a shot of the two of us!

Note:- Uploading the video now & will embed once done! I’ve been filled with assignments all month & that takes precedence over blogging but do know that I tweet in between. Will post more once I settle my work!

In conjunction with Mega FAM Tour 2012, a media & travel agents’ familiarisation tour for representatives all over the world, Citrawarna Malaysia showcased one of the grandest parade of the year at Merdeka Square, the site where Malaysia’s flag was raised on Independence Day in 1957.

Against the backdrop of the former courthouse turned Ministry of Information, the Sultan Abdul Samad Building was lit up by many colours beaming into the sky. The ground was laminated with white vinyl flooring to illuminate the dancers & their equally elaborate costumes. Despite the rain earlier, many turned up to catch the multi-coloured parade of performers ranging from uniquely decorated floats to sportsmen & chefs accompanied by fireworks in the sky. Scores of trishaws ferrying passenger from the World Heritage City of Melaka were brought to the parade.

The sound system provided surround sound throughout the stretch of the parade giving a very carnival-like atmosphere that got people to their feet with the rest of the performers.

The way to a man’s heart may be through his stomach but I would have reservations if he wants to be hearted all day long as much as he wants you to be gutted all night long. Let’s set the tone for what is to come so that it would go down well with my church leaders who would be reading this with possibly a gapping jaw on their faces at worst or at best, laugh heartily at my two cents for you. Babies come through your Cherry. And in that time, your cherry has been stretched, cut, bruised – basically traumatised & possibly scarred, initially by an invasion of Mars, then by bringing little Martians into the world. You should be (re)trained & armed to enjoy the next onslaught but how can you feel sexy when the muscles keeping your cherry looking & behaving like a cherry have weakened & functions like a prune? Not sexy. Have no fear, help is here. Read to the end if you think you deserve a better cherry to work your matter.

Let’s look at the Vibrance Kegel Device, this scientifically-designed medical device which I would call The Device for it will set the stage for ‘the matter’ once you have had enough practice. I am sure your man wouldn’t mind me describing his little matter since I know some men have names for them with great emphasis on their ability to scale heights or whip-up smoothies, or lasso a cow, all which seem very satisfying……to themselves. So how do you have a well-toned cherry that will give you hours of pleasure after you have been traumatised? Even if you haven’t had a child, at some point in your life, you will, so this is a good starting ground to exercise your cherry before you get exorcised for your cherry, leaving your man to take matter into his own hand or worse, find other berries that can never measure up to you. No pun intended. Dealing with matters should be fun especially if you aim to get a standing ovation for your effort every time. Eager beavers are cute, don’t you think?

The Device helps you get your cherry muscles in order by having a timed indicator which lets you know how long you should ‘squeeze’ & when to let go. The tendency to use your hind-cheeks muscle is there and you have got to focus upon getting your pelvic floor to do the work. Battery operated, The Device will vibrate once you get it right. The box comes with lubricant gel to aid insertion & a cleanser for you to clean it afterwards. The 5 seconds interval is also aided by sound, a low pitch ring to urge you to start squeezing again. The hypoallergenic silicone rubber has 3 additional sheaths which you graduate to once you strengthen the muscles to grip harder. The sheaths are numbered by its degree of stiffness beginning with number 1 & ending at number 3. By the time you can do Number 2, you will be loving your matter so well, he wouldn’t be bothered to go out with the boys, watch football or give excuses to stay out. And when you can do Number 3 effortlessly, you would probably be able to deflate your man in 60 seconds flat. Just make sure you keep practicing for future sessions & demand that he won’t roll over & fall asleep before you are done. With regular practice, you might even get him to come home for lunch daily, wherever else he may have gotten his appetite from.

Getting by the first week of using it with sheath Number 1 was a piece of cake but there was a significant resistance with Number 2. You can choose to turn off the sound & go stealth, especially if you want to do it in your office or while you are watching TV. As with all parts of your body, muscles hold parts in place & this is especially true when you hardly know your pelvic floor muscle exists in the most obscured place in your body. And this part is something that can hold pleasure in place, move matter into action & drive the population census up. When you move to sheath Number 3, you can rule the world. The Device is not just any device that you can get but a device that’s purposefully designed to elevate your cherry’s well-being, captivate your attention-deficit man & bring pleasure back into your ability to grip him into oblivion. Only RM498 per set. Get it at Bio Infinity. Guys, it’s beats buying Gucci or Prada for her plus you can actually benefit from the usage so get one for your darling if you happen to read this first! And don’t imply she has gotten loose (excuse the pun), just tell her that you wouldn’t want her precious insides to fall out from having a weak pelvic floor then help her use it for the first time!

Disclaimer: The device may help restore your confidence & ability to get a good grip on your man but it may not tackle underlying factors that cause disinterest in your man. While I may suggest adventurous bedtime antics & Mardi Gras constumes to sizzle your sessions, nothing should substitute open communication between two people. The ultimate goal is not to see other women as a threat or as a competition to you but to let your man see you as the woman he chose & will choose again despite the many he meets out there. It’s about the birds & the bees so get buzzing with it right now!

I had a chat with great guy friends & their wives to bring this piece to you & after using the device for a month now, I can see how it’s able to bring the sparks back to light his candle & burn for a long time. For a great run down on how it looks like & how it works, see what Caroline has to say about it here.

If the sexuality of a woman depends upon her ability to satisfy her man, would she feel inadequate if she can’t? There could be a number of reasons why a woman is subjected to such feelings & one of them is purely medical. Let me share what I’ve learnt in the launch of a very cute & sexy medical device designed to restore a woman’s ability to maintain her grip on her man.

Puan Suhaila - physiotherapist

When the good people at BioInfinity asked me if I have heard of Kegel’s exercises & would like to know more about a revolutionary device to help women, I said yes. At the launch, Puan Suhaila, the physiotherapist from HUKM, gave a tremendous insight to what women suffer from when they begin to age, after childbirth or when their pelvic floor muscles are weakened leading to incontinence problems. Pelvic floor muscles? Well, it’s not muscles you can workout in the gym, I assure you but it’s the part of the woman’s anatomy that holds her pee inside & prevents her from leaking. That will happen if your pelvic floor muscles are weakened or injured from childbirth, surgery or if you lack targeted exercise. We will get to what targeted exercise is about later.

Bloggers & press people

Many women prior to being Puan Suhaila’s patients, couldn’t understand how to exercise that part of the anatomy, being hidden & obscured from their vision and so her instructions had to take them through on a journey of self-discovery & practice. That’s when the workshop became hilarious with Puan Suhaila’s descriptive & suggestive gestures! Soon, the floor (not the pelvic) began to open up with questions, a few being quite bizarre. We were, after all, in a room filled with ladies only, making it perfect to ask everything under the sun and about areas where the sun don’t shine. We were shown pictures of how a woman’s uterus can fall out of place (and into the open) when the pelvic floor muscles weaken. This is definitely not sexy. I can’t imagine anyone telling their spouse, “Honey, can you go down on my uterus?” during foreplay. Some things are just not on when out.

So when the room is full of 20 somethings & 30 somethings, unmarried & married women, it becomes a place of free expression. When we were taken to the gym to work out our pelvic floor with exercises that required us to gyrate, we made heads turn, although it’s ultimately what some women want to do in the bedroom after these exercises! After going through some hip-tossing movements & back-arching workouts, I definitely want to know if my muscles will keep my organs from falling out, not that anything is out of order but from the medical perspective, it is a very good idea for a self-assessment.

We each took home the Vibrance Kegel Device to test & give a full review on what the device does for a woman’s esteem besides the main purpose that it was designed for. Wait for my review on how it functions after I lay my hands on this little wonder of a medical device in a week’s time! Watch this space!

Drum Circle Kids

YB Dr. Nasir

Mr. John performing his balloon art.

Preceding the Earth Hour, a Walk held earlier in the afternoon gave participants a chance in getting acquainted with the outdoors on foot. They were treated to a vegetarian dinner later at Padang Kota before joining the rest at Sunway Giza to be entertained by the line-ups. The ADUN, YB Dr. Nasir, was present to cut the cake and made a speech on the environment of Kota Damansara before Mr. John continued his first class act in keeping the kids glued to his performance which continued long after he went off-stage judging by how the kids had surrounded him for his balloon-art.

T4C

Lots of people!

Earth Hour was conceptualised by WWF in 2007 in a move to get the world to reduce carbon emission by switching off lights for an hour. Today, many corporate companies, outlets and businesses are following suit to observe an hour without electricity usage as part of their contribution to conservation. Usually held on the last weekend of March, Friends of Kota Damansara collaborated with Sunway Giza, MBPJ and Caring Citizens to make the hour fun-filled and inspiring.

Footnote:- I had the privilege to emcee this event and had a great time watching the performances as much as I did hosting them!

Well with the authorities of Prasarana.

While the rest cycled from Well’s shop in Damansara Perdana, I was coming from the other end of town to the Kelana Jaya station & waited for everyone to arrive. As soon as they did, the press fired away!

We were briefed that for a normal day, bags are to be used to store our foldies to prevent any injuries to other passengers if emergency brakes are applied. It was good to meet everyone with their ultra jiffy foldies. Five ladies were present including me. Well, Lai Peng, Anne & Ping were amongst some of the regular cyclists who did long distances weekly. I love my Oribike with Ezywheels allowing me to roll it when it’s folded.

We were given a RM10 credit on our pass to access for the day. It took about 45 minutes to reach Sri Rampai station. The press conference was held to officially support the Car-Free Day & declare the trains accessible for folding bike cyclists!! Soon after, we were treated to a scrumptious buffet lunch & I headed back together with Kamarul, the Brompton biker accompanied by police officers!

This is definitely a breakthrough in cycling for commuters in Malaysia. Bicycles had never been allowed in public transport but with the emergence of folding bikes, authorities are beginning to recognise & accept this trend & usage of bikes to open up access to us. Thank you, Prasarana & Well for negotiating for it!!! Definitely a milestone for Malaysia!

The event was highlighted in the newspapers too!

Kuning, the chief rescuer who together with Hitam (departed), assisted us to successfully catch 29 dogs in Pulau Selat Kering. (Go to my Rescue category to read about it.) He has just been appointed as the 6th Dr. Dog Ambassador in Malaysia, a programme by Animal Asia Foundation’s CEO & Founder, Jill Robinson. Yay, Kuning!!!

Sabrina is the magnanimous lady who is taking care of these furkids & I am forever grateful for the work that she has done in FFF. Please support her in keeping this sanctuary!!!

Partner in rescue!

Thanks to Adrian who took the photo on his iPhone! I had my pockets raided & my bag ransacked by the curious mutts and had to hide them from being hijacked. Kuning gave me lotsa hugs!!!

Seeing that there were just a few of us who wanted to cycle on that day, Women on Wheels supported Wanita Suara Perubahan & we headed to have a two hour lunch at a cafe before returning to the meeting point to find hoards of people in purple! The theme for the march was to be attired in purple & the wearing of white gloves symbolises a clean government.

Passing cars slowed down considerably to honk in support of the slogans on the placards that women AND men were jostling up & down to make their demands known. I was so inspired by fishmongers, estate & factory workers as well as the indigenous women who took the day off work just to be present to make a stand. Many of the rural folks were uneducated, some illiterate but all were united in making a stand to call for change. Accompanied by several men who were in full support of women’s demands, we marched 3 kilometres to the rally site, like a wave of purple boring through the town on a Sunday afternoon.

There on the field, I was with my Oribike, making new friends with people on my right & left as they asked questions about my foldie & I told them we are part of WOW – Women on Wheels gathering momentum to make a difference one crank at a time.

Selangor Heritage Trail on Wheels was a cycling event that took approximately 100 cyclists to get to know the historical sites & places with heritage value at Kuala Kubu Bharu (KKB), Selangor, Malaysia. We went to recce the places & earmarked them to let participants experience the splendour of that destination on bicycles! An initiative effort by the state government of Selangor under the Tourism & Environment portfolio of YB Elizabeth Wong, the Head of Tourism Executive Committee, we collaborated with the Hulu Selangor Town Council (Majlis Daerah Hulu Selangor or MDHS) to bring cyclists & cycling enthusiasts together to participate in a non-competitive, non-race event to seek out the heritage trail with a map on a route led by authorities.

Traffic Police Station.

How it looked like in the old days. It was once a church!


Group photo with Well Tan (in white top to the left of person in black shirt) & her darling riders.

So many foldies!!!

Recognising the need to reduce our carbon footprint, we designated two segments of the program for that day, one being the main trail in town, the other being the adventure trail to see the historical broken dam of Ampang Pecah, the Masjid (mosque), the Chinese & Indian temples located just outside of KKB town. The dam that collapsed in 1884, was responsible for flooding the old town of Kuala Kubu, causing the death in untold numbers, one of the reasons why they moved the old town that’s now submerged, to the new site called Kuala Kubu Bharu. There are a few churches in town & a lot of interesting eateries that have been around for ages. There’s a little quaint restaurant that used to serve chilled herbal tea in brandy bottles & ordering them is equally fun!

The cook in the kitchen of Teo Kee Restaurant at Big Tree in front of the post office in KKB.

The heritage spots.

The route promised to be exciting with a famous Butter Sponge Cake shop as one of the stops & a police station that was formerly a church. Riders went to all the spots encompassing a 25km loop with a stop at a broken dam & a hot spring. At the end of the event, I was asked to do a similar event in a different district & it looks like the heritage trail will soon go places!

Ampang Pecah, the broken dam.

King George Monument

The town has a cycling lane, an effort to get citizens back to riding bicycles but the route of the heritage trail covered everywhere else.

I managed to get Folding Bike Trading to be the official supporting bicycle shop to standby with technical support for the cyclists & Lafuma as the sponsor of discount vouchers for the goodie bags. Even breakfast & lunch were catered for together with a lorry load of fruits (durians, dukus & rambutans) for the cyclists to feast on!

Cyclists in full coloured fashion!

We asked the ladies to come dressed in their most fashionable attire as riding is not just about racing but about looking good on your bike! We wanted them to come accessorised with gadgets & bags too! Then we asked the men to come in anything but racing outfit. The photo opportunity depicted them in cool attire rather than in competition vests. They redefined Sightseeing on Wheels! The launch was officiated by the President of the town council, two Members of Parliament & head of police in the district & we had a bike acrobat to perform some really cool stunts that put people half his age to shame. 70+years Ramanathan did some calisthenics & balancing act on his bike to the stunned audience before the ride.

Flag off!


Bike acrobat & riding around the block.

As the country was developed without the cyclist in mind, we are helping the state gazette cycling lanes to make the roads safer to ride in & create any event that will bring cyclists together in numbers. Working with local councils who are all for the idea is a great experience & nothing beats the thrill of riding in the countryside discovering new places & finding food along the way. Follow my journey as we convince others to get on the bike again!

Yours truly having a picture taken with YB Elizabeth Wong!

Hot spring – a soak after a cool dip at the dam….

My mom, Mary Then, has been called home to the Lord on 22 February 2012. She suffered her third stroke in August 2011, the same time when I was attending Chien’s funeral in Penang. It had been downhill all the way & as we prepared ourselves, I prayed & released her. I know she will be better off where she is now, having reunited with dad in heaven. I haven’t been able to focus my thoughts to write what I feel, just as I thought I had overcome the sadness of my best friend’s passing, I have to deal with another. At least I know her pain & suffering from being semi-paralysed is now over.

My optimism belongs to God. He’s there when reality hits me later. That morning, God sent me 9 migratory eagles thermalling in the sky just outside my apartment. He said, “Just as they are on their journey home, so is your mom!” I was comforted in that knowledge & proceeded to arrange for the undertaker.

We had the wake on the same day & the funeral the next. It was a simple service. Thank you for turning up to support us in our grieving.

Thank you, mommy, for living this life for us. We will see you again.

I had the honour of having Nigel play the keyboards for the wake service. Thank you, Nigel!

Flowers for my mom

The journey for mom & us.

Our last goodbyes before she enters the furnace. It’s hot, mommy but you’re not there anymore! You’re with Jesus!


And she shall return to our Father in heaven!